Category: Education

MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Digital education – E-002098/2024

Source: European Parliament

16.10.2024

Question for written answer E-002098/2024/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Daniel Buda (PPE)

The UK has announced that it is introducing classes into the primary and secondary school curricula in which students will learn to think critically and identify fake news in the press and online media. The Minister for Education, Bridget Phillipson, has stated that the aim is to prepare children to distinguish between real and false information, and also to recognise conspiracy theories and extremist content.

Although the details of how this will be done are unclear, various methods have been suggested. For example, during their English classes, students could analyse newspaper articles, while in IT classes they could learn how to recognise fake news sites. Teachers could also present statistics on disinformation during mathematics classes.

The EU can work with Member States to incorporate digital skills into school curricula. This includes training in critical thinking, assessing information sources and digital security, thereby helping students to better navigate the online world. What can the Commission do to help prepare the younger generations meet these new challenges?

Submitted: 16.10.2024

Last updated: 31 October 2024

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: TB in Africa: global report shows successes, but Nigeria and DRC remain important hotspots

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tom Nyirenda, Extraordinary Senior Lecture in the Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University

The World Health Organization’s 2024 Global Tuberculosis report reveals a sobering reality. Formidable challenges remain in the fight against the world’s most infectious disease: persistent poverty in high burden countries; increased rates of infection among vulnerable populations; the inability to find and treat all missing cases; and funding shortfalls.

The WHO’s report measures progress in two ways: the number of TB-related deaths, and the number of people who become ill. There is still a long battle ahead to eradicate a disease that results in over 10 million patients among those already infected and claims around 1.5 million lives each year. This even though it is preventable and curable.

The good news is that some countries in Africa have made significant progress in reducing infection rates and TB-related deaths.

Global health specialist Tom Nyirenda assesses some of the report’s key findings and messages.

Tackling poverty beats TB

In 2023, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 6.0 million men, 3.6 million women and 1.3 million children. This is slightly more than the 10.6 million people recorded in 2022.

TB can be defeated because we have good diagnostic tools and effective treatment for the commonest forms of the disease. Global funding, which is critical in fighting TB, is not yet up to the scale that is required to stop the disease. Only 26% of the funding committed by global partners to TB prevention, diagnostic and treatment services has materialised so far.

Good diagnostic tools and treatment aren’t the panacea. Almost 87% of TB cases are from 30 high burden poor countries of the world. Slow or lack of economic progress of affected populations is one of the greatest challenges the world continues to face.

Read more: New TB skin test could offer cheaper and easier way to detect the disease

TB-related deaths

On the positive side, progress has been made in reducing TB related deaths in the Africa region. The continent saw the biggest drop in TB related deaths since 2015 of all six regions – 42%. The European region came next with TB deaths down by 38% in the same period.

When it comes to TB infections the WHO African and European regions have made the most progress: a reduction of 24% in Africa and 27% in Europe.

One of the main reasons for the success in Africa has been progress in treating HIV patients. This is because TB is one of the most common opportunistic infections among patients with HIV. (Opportunistic infections occur more often or are more severe in people with weakened immune systems.)

Before antiretrovirals transformed treatment for HIV patients, the African continent had the highest TB-HIV co-infection rates in the world. High mortality was experienced among co-infected patients.

At one stage HIV prevalence among TB patients was estimated to be as high as 90% in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Treating co-infected patients with antiretrovirals has contributed significantly to the drop in TB-related cases and deaths on the continent.

Some countries have increased TB screening among vulnerable groups such as children and those who live in confined areas, such as prisoners and displaced people.

Mixed bag of infection rates

Successes within the African region vary from country to country.

For example Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among eight countries that accounted for about two-thirds of the global number of people estimated to have developed TB in 2023. Nigeria has 4.6% of the global new cases and the DRC has 3.1%.

It’s noteworthy that both countries have high levels of poverty; they are vast, with huge populations; and their health services are limited compared to the scale of disease burdens they face.

Read more: Medical science has made great strides in fighting TB, but reducing poverty is the best way to end this disease

Sometimes increases in reported cases are not a bad thing. They can be due to improved case finding or better diagnostic procedures. But vigilance is required to maintain the drive towards achievement of global targets.

Barriers to seeking treatment

Families of TB sufferers often have to bear costs such as for medications, special foods, transport, and a loss of income.

Such expenses sometimes discourage TB sufferers from seeking treatment.

The WHO global report estimates families in many countries in Africa are among those facing “catastrophic total costs” as a result of members becoming ill with TB. This is when direct and indirect costs account for more than 20% of a family’s annual household income. The countries where this is the case include Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and South Africa.

A billboard warns locals about the dangers of tuberculosis in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Getty Images.

Vaccine race

The only vaccine against TB, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, has been used for more than 100 years. It is largely effective for children under five, but less so in older people. And it can’t be used on patients who have certain medical conditions.

Development of vaccines is a lengthy and costly exercise. Only one-fifth of the finance necessary for research has been forthcoming to date.

Read more: TB: gene editing could add new power to a 100-year-old vaccine

The good news is that of all infectious diseases TB is probably the one that has the most vaccine candidates in the pipeline (about 17). There are currently six vaccine candidates for adults in phase III trials. They could be available within the next five years.

Beating the disease will require an effective primary or recurrent TB prevention vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine for those already infected with the TB bacteria but who have not yet developed the disease.

Future threats

Climate change will affect food security and nutrition, essential for recovery from TB, and also diverting TB resources to epidemics and pandemics associated with it.

Human conflict, migration and displacement are other threats that world faces that will hinder TB infection control and treatment.

There is also the urgent need to tackle drug-resistant tuberculosis.

These dangers strengthen the case for multi-sectoral collaboration to share rare resources and strive for a meaningful impact. The speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were developed in the middle of a pandemic and global lockdowns shows this is possible in better and worse times.

What needs to be done

Without government support the war against TB will never be won. Every country and every community is different. It is therefore essential that locally relevant economic research is conducted in every situation to guide policies that reduce the economic burden of TB on communities. Generated evidence should guide policy and practice. Above all good financing should be mobilised, with governments leading the course.

– TB in Africa: global report shows successes, but Nigeria and DRC remain important hotspots
– https://theconversation.com/tb-in-africa-global-report-shows-successes-but-nigeria-and-drc-remain-important-hotspots-242489

MIL OSI Africa –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HK education promoted in Beijing

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin today attended the 25th China Annual Conference & Expo for International Education in Beijing to share Hong Kong’s experiences in promoting internationalisation and diversification of higher education, and promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand.

A high-level and comprehensive platform for global educators to engage in dialogue and co-operation, this year’s conference, under the theme “Education for All, the Unknown & the Future”, attracted thousands of people from around the world.

In her keynote speech, Ms Choi said that Hong Kong has five University Grants Committee-funded universities which rank among the world’s top 100.

Coupled with its sound education infrastructure, outstanding research talent and strong research capabilities, Hong Kong’s reputable brand name of quality education is widely recognised and acknowledged both locally and globally, she highlighted.

Ms Choi further noted that the 2024 Policy Address announced the establishment of the Committee on Education, Technology & Talents to take forward the work of invigorating the country through science and education, and accelerate the building of an innovative talent pool.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government launched a number of key initiatives to create multiple pathways for young people, she added.

The education chief also pointed out that the Hong Kong SAR Government has been actively supporting the establishment of alliances between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and on the Mainland to gather high-quality teaching and research resources, and to achieve mutual benefits through deepening co-operation, thereby enhancing regional co-operation as well as developments on different fronts.

During the conference, Ms Choi exchanged views on the latest trends and developments in global education with other guests. She also met representatives of Hong Kong post-secondary education institutions participating in the expo.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: NMRTC Twentynine Palms conducts SHOTEX to boost medical readiness at MCAGCC

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

Sailors and medical staff from Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms conducted a Shot Exercise (SHOTEX) session from Oct. 15–28, providing influenza vaccinations to personnel across various non-deployable units at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC).

This particular session of a wider SHOTEX primarily focused on supporting the Marine Corps Communications-Electronics School (MCCES), with vaccinations also being administered to the Marine Corps Logistics Operations Group (MCLOG), Tactical Training Exercise Control Group (TTECG), Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command (MAGTFTC), Headquarters Battalion, and other units.

The initiative aims to ensure efficient and timely vaccination of all permanent personnel and students, an essential element in maintaining the medical readiness of units such as MCCES, where personnel are required to meet high medical standards.

“The SHOTEX is an initiative designed to ensure that all permanent personnel and students at MCCES receive their flu vaccinations promptly and efficiently,” said Lieutenant Sherman Baskins, who helped lead the SHOTEX.

“This program is crucial for maintaining the overall medical readiness standards of MCCES,” explained Baskins. “Failure to vaccinate personnel can negatively impact MCCES’s overall medical readiness rating. The SHOTEX allows MCCES to achieve 100% vaccination coverage for both Marines and civilian staff while minimizing disruptions to training operations.”

Over the course of the SHOTEX, NMRTC Sailors administered over 1,500 vaccinations in just three days, underscoring the Navy medical team’s ability to coordinate mass vaccinations quickly to uphold readiness standards.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Joella Pitts highlighted the program’s success, pointing to the dedication and efficiency of the staff in handling the large-scale immunization effort.

“It is a force readiness requirement to administer these vaccines,” said Pitts. “It shows our dedication to the mission and highlights the efficiency of our staff at administering vaccinations to a large number of people within a short time.”

Next, NMRTC Twentynine Palms is expected to continue administering vaccinations with deployable units to bolster the readiness and mission capability of all Marine Corps personnel and staff across Twentynine Palms.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: TB in Africa: global report shows successes, but Nigeria and DRC remain important hotspots

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Tom Nyirenda, Extraordinary Senior Lecture in the Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University

The World Health Organization’s 2024 Global Tuberculosis report reveals a sobering reality. Formidable challenges remain in the fight against the world’s most infectious disease: persistent poverty in high burden countries; increased rates of infection among vulnerable populations; the inability to find and treat all missing cases; and funding shortfalls.

The WHO’s report measures progress in two ways: the number of TB-related deaths, and the number of people who become ill. There is still a long battle ahead to eradicate a disease that results in over 10 million patients among those already infected and claims around 1.5 million lives each year. This even though it is preventable and curable.

The good news is that some countries in Africa have made significant progress in reducing infection rates and TB-related deaths.

Global health specialist Tom Nyirenda assesses some of the report’s key findings and messages.

Tackling poverty beats TB

In 2023, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 6.0 million men, 3.6 million women and 1.3 million children. This is slightly more than the 10.6 million people recorded in 2022.

TB can be defeated because we have good diagnostic tools and effective treatment for the commonest forms of the disease. Global funding, which is critical in fighting TB, is not yet up to the scale that is required to stop the disease. Only 26% of the funding committed by global partners to TB prevention, diagnostic and treatment services has materialised so far.

Good diagnostic tools and treatment aren’t the panacea. Almost 87% of TB cases are from 30 high burden poor countries of the world. Slow or lack of economic progress of affected populations is one of the greatest challenges the world continues to face.

Read more:
New TB skin test could offer cheaper and easier way to detect the disease

TB-related deaths

On the positive side, progress has been made in reducing TB related deaths in the Africa region. The continent saw the biggest drop in TB related deaths since 2015 of all six regions – 42%. The European region came next with TB deaths down by 38% in the same period.

When it comes to TB infections the WHO African and European regions have made the most progress: a reduction of 24% in Africa and 27% in Europe.

One of the main reasons for the success in Africa has been progress in treating HIV patients. This is because TB is one of the most common opportunistic infections among patients with HIV. (Opportunistic infections occur more often or are more severe in people with weakened immune systems.)

Before antiretrovirals transformed treatment for HIV patients, the African continent had the highest TB-HIV co-infection rates in the world. High mortality was experienced among co-infected patients.

At one stage HIV prevalence among TB patients was estimated to be as high as 90% in some areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Treating co-infected patients with antiretrovirals has contributed significantly to the drop in TB-related cases and deaths on the continent.

Some countries have increased TB screening among vulnerable groups such as children and those who live in confined areas, such as prisoners and displaced people.

Mixed bag of infection rates

Successes within the African region vary from country to country.

For example Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo are among eight countries that accounted for about two-thirds of the global number of people estimated to have developed TB in 2023. Nigeria has 4.6% of the global new cases and the DRC has 3.1%.

It’s noteworthy that both countries have high levels of poverty; they are vast, with huge populations; and their health services are limited compared to the scale of disease burdens they face.

Read more:
Medical science has made great strides in fighting TB, but reducing poverty is the best way to end this disease

Sometimes increases in reported cases are not a bad thing. They can be due to improved case finding or better diagnostic procedures. But vigilance is required to maintain the drive towards achievement of global targets.

Barriers to seeking treatment

Families of TB sufferers often have to bear costs such as for medications, special foods, transport, and a loss of income.

Such expenses sometimes discourage TB sufferers from seeking treatment.

The WHO global report estimates families in many countries in Africa are among those facing “catastrophic total costs” as a result of members becoming ill with TB. This is when direct and indirect costs account for more than 20% of a family’s annual household income. The countries where this is the case include Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Tanzania and South Africa.

Vaccine race

The only vaccine against TB, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, has been used for more than 100 years. It is largely effective for children under five, but less so in older people. And it can’t be used on patients who have certain medical conditions.

Development of vaccines is a lengthy and costly exercise. Only one-fifth of the finance necessary for research has been forthcoming to date.

Read more:
TB: gene editing could add new power to a 100-year-old vaccine

The good news is that of all infectious diseases TB is probably the one that has the most vaccine candidates in the pipeline (about 17). There are currently six vaccine candidates for adults in phase III trials. They could be available within the next five years.

Beating the disease will require an effective primary or recurrent TB prevention vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine for those already infected with the TB bacteria but who have not yet developed the disease.

Future threats

Climate change will affect food security and nutrition, essential for recovery from TB, and also diverting TB resources to epidemics and pandemics associated with it.

Human conflict, migration and displacement are other threats that world faces that will hinder TB infection control and treatment.

There is also the urgent need to tackle drug-resistant tuberculosis.

These dangers strengthen the case for multi-sectoral collaboration to share rare resources and strive for a meaningful impact. The speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were developed in the middle of a pandemic and global lockdowns shows this is possible in better and worse times.

What needs to be done

Without government support the war against TB will never be won. Every country and every community is different. It is therefore essential that locally relevant economic research is conducted in every situation to guide policies that reduce the economic burden of TB on communities. Generated evidence should guide policy and practice. Above all good financing should be mobilised, with governments leading the course.

Tom Nyirenda is affiliated with European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership -EDCTP.

– ref. TB in Africa: global report shows successes, but Nigeria and DRC remain important hotspots – https://theconversation.com/tb-in-africa-global-report-shows-successes-but-nigeria-and-drc-remain-important-hotspots-242489

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Top human rights official brings message of support to students in Bangladesh

Source: United Nations (Video News)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed support for students at Dhaka University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PampbquBivU

MIL OSI Video –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko opened a new campus of the branch of the Herzen State Pedagogical University in Tashkent

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

As part of his working visit to Uzbekistan, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko took part in the ceremonial opening of the new campus of the branch of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen in Tashkent.

The ceremony was also attended by the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, First Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shakhnoza Mirziyoyeva, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan Khilola Umarova, Rector of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen Sergey Tarasov.

“This new education center symbolizes another step in strengthening the close ties between our countries, Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation, which have been reliable partners and true friends for many, many decades,” said Tanzila Narbaeva.

Minister of Preschool and School Education of Uzbekistan Khilola Umarova noted that today the branch successfully implements its mission, training specialists in the fields of preschool education, child psychology and teaching Russian.

“There are already more than 1,100 students studying here. And in the near future, upon completion of construction work, we plan to increase their number to 3,000, creating modern conditions for their study,” the minister said.

The Deputy Prime Minister thanked everyone who made the opening of the new campus of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia possible, especially the heads of state. In May, the leaders of the countries Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting at which they made a number of important decisions, including in the field of education.

“Education, upbringing and enlightenment are an investment in the future development of our countries. It is very important that it is at the site of the RSPU branch that advanced technologies are used, including those made and developed in Russia, which have proven experience and successful application. Teachers who will then teach our children study here – this is a very necessary investment. The opening of the campus is a celebration, first of all, for teachers and students. They have received unique conditions for work and study. Of course, we expect a responsible attitude from them so that these conditions are converted into an excellent result, which the leadership of the countries expects from us,” emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that today 14 branches of leading Russian universities operate in Uzbekistan. The republic also occupies a leading position in the number of students in Russian universities among the countries of the near and far abroad – this is about 53 thousand people.

Additionally, Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized the role of the Russian language in the development of relations between Russia and Uzbekistan.

“A new campus of the branch of the Russian State Pedagogical University has opened. This is a big event for our countries. The competition for training today is three people per place, all the popular areas are represented here. I am sure that the opening of the branch will become a new stage of our cooperation, will facilitate the exchange of teachers and students. For our part, we will provide all the necessary methodological assistance,” said Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov.

He emphasized that the renovation work carried out made it possible to make the external appearance of the main building of the branch as similar as possible to the façade of Count Razumovsky’s palace in St. Petersburg, where the oldest pedagogical university in Russia has been located for more than 200 years.

The Russian delegation inspected the library, computer room, Center for Defectological Education and Rehabilitation, and laboratories in the campus building.

Together with the Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov, the Deputy Prime Minister also visited the Victory Park memorial complex in Tashkent, where he laid flowers at the Ode to Fortitude monument and left a commemorative note in the book of honored guests.

“Thank you very much for your careful attitude to the memory of our common Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Thanks to your museum, the younger generation will learn more about the pages of military history and the feat accomplished by our huge country in the struggle for liberation from fascism. The contribution of the people of Uzbekistan to the Victory is difficult to overestimate – the republic became a reliable rear and did everything possible for the front. Many of its soldiers died on the battlefield – we sacredly honor their feat in the name of peace. Our countries have common spiritual and moral values, and this is the key to the prosperity and successful future of Uzbekistan and Russia,” the Deputy Prime Minister wrote.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Leesburg native serving at U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guantanamo Bay on the path to becoming an officer

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

Story courtesy of Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Petty Officer 1st Class Breanna Funderburk, a native of Leesburg, Florida, was recently selected for the Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program while serving in the U.S. Navy assigned to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program is a pathway for career-driven active-duty sailors to become commissioned officers.

Funderburk graduated from Leesburg High School in 2016. Additionally, Funderburk earned an associate degree in health science from Incarnate Word University in 2020, a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Purdue Global University in 2022 and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport in 2024.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Leesburg.

“Growing up in my hometown, and because of poverty levels of the economy, I always sought to be successful,” said Funderburk. “With this goal in mind, I began working at the age of 15 and diligently studied in school to ensure that this was to be my outcome. I earned two scholarships when I graduated high school, yet I returned these and knew that there was something greater out there for me. I carried my desire for higher education and work ethic with me as I began my naval career just seven and a half years ago. Everything happens for a reason and I wouldn’t be who I am today without the hometown experiences that shaped me into who I am and who I continue be in my naval career.”

Funderburk joined the Navy seven and a half years ago. Today, Funderburk serves as a hospital corpsman.

“I joined the Navy to find a solid foundation while pursuing higher education and to challenge myself in ways I couldn’t have imagined if I stayed in my comfort zone,” said Funderburk. “I wanted to serve a greater purpose, gain new skills and grow as a person by exploring opportunities beyond my hometown. The Navy offered me not only stability but also the chance to be a part of something bigger, experience new cultures and contribute to something meaningful. It’s been a decision that has expanded my horizons in ways I never thought possible.”

Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay provides health care to the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay community, which consists of approximately 4,500 military members, federal employees, U.S. and foreign national contractors and their families. The hospital also operates the only overseas military home health care facility providing care to elderly special category residents who sought asylum on the installation during the Cuban Revolution.

“What I love most about my role in the Navy is the opportunity to mentor and guide junior sailors and my peers,” said Funderburk. “The ‘sailorization’ process – helping others grow, develop their skills, and reach their potential – is deeply rewarding for me. As a leader, I strive to embody a servant leadership style, where my focus is on supporting others and empowering them to succeed. There’s nothing more fulfilling than watching someone I’ve mentored overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Knowing that I played a part in their growth is a reminder of the true purpose of leadership; serving others and uplifting those around you.”

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Funderburk serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Funderburk has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“My proudest achievement in the Navy is being selected through the Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program to commission as a United States Navy officer with my master’s degree in healthcare administration,” said Funderburk.

Funderburk can take pride in serving America through military service.

“Serving in the Navy means being part of something greater than myself,” said Funderburk. “It’s about commitment, sacrifice and dedication to protecting our nation and supporting those in need. It’s given me the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, to learn from diverse experiences and to develop a strong sense of discipline and teamwork. Serving in the Navy has instilled a deep pride in knowing that my contributions make a tangible impact, and it’s allowed me to build a lifelong bond with others who share the same mission of service and excellence.”

Funderburk is grateful for the opportunities the Navy has provided to help them reach their goals.

“A main goal of mine when I joined was to have stability and a strong foundation while attending college and I sought to be very academically successful,” said Funderburk. “With that, the Navy has provided me with great opportunities and I was able to go to corpsman-specialized schooling, which awarded me with my associate in health sciences and a license as a Certified Respiratory Therapist, which is transferable to the civilian sector. Later, at my second command at Navy Medicine and Training Command Fort Belvoir, I was able to complete both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in healthcare administration through online colleges within four years of being stationed there.

“It can be very challenging balancing the active duty lifestyle and excelling in your education, but it is not impossible.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Michelle Spear, Professor of Anatomy, University of Bristol

Women’s bodies were inspected by witch-finders to uncover unusual growths of blemishes. T. H. Matteson/ Wikimedia Commons

Throughout accounts of 17th-century witch trials in Europe and North America, physical features alone were considered undeniable proof of witchcraft. The belief was that the devil branded witches’ bodies with symbolic, material marks – such as unusual growths or blemishes. This led to routine bodily inspections in witch trials. The discovery of such marks was thought to be strong medical and scientific evidence of witchcraft and frequently sealed the victim’s fate.

Here are just some of the anatomical features that historically would have been used to label someone a witch:

Are you a woman?

While men were occasionally accused of witchcraft, historical witch hunts overwhelmingly targeted women – particularly women who led an independent lifestyle (such as widows and spinsters) or who were outspoken and didn’t conform to societal norms. Historians estimate that more than 75% of those accused of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries were female.

Religious teachings at the time reinforced the idea that women were morally weaker and therefore more susceptible to temptation and sin.

By this standard, if you identify as female today, you are one of approximately 3.95 billion potential “witches”.

How old are you?

Age was another factor in witch trials. Older women, especially those past childbearing age, were frequently suspected of witchcraft – particularly if they were a widow, owned property or lived alone.

Records suggest that more than half of those accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563-1736 were over 40 years old. At this time, the average life expectancy was around 32 years of age.

Today, with around 1.4 billion women globally over 40, many more might have found themselves under similar suspicion by historical standards.

Do you have an extra nipple?

The “witch’s teat” was a common trait witch-hunters used to identify someone as being a witch. This extra nipple was thought to be used by witches to nurse so-called demonic familiars – often imagined to be small animals or imps. Witch-hunters would examine the chest or torso for any irregularity and classify it as a witch’s teat.

In reality, supernumerary nipples (or polythelia) are benign. These form during early embryonic development and in some people do not fully disappear.

Another feature sometimes mistaken for a supernumerary teat was the clitoris. Historical accounts suggest that women were sometimes convicted based on the size of this body part. Pamphlets from the time, which describe the process of identifying a “witches’ teat,” often mention a small protrusion located near a woman’s “fundament” or “privy place” – euphemisms for a woman’s genitals.

It’s estimated that around 5% of the world’s population have at least one extra nipple. They appear more often on the left-hand side of the chest and are more common in men. Harry Styles, who has openly discussed having four nipples, would perhaps have been far less inclined to

– ref. Moles, birthmarks and red hair: the anatomical features used to accuse women of witchcraft in the 17th century – https://theconversation.com/moles-birthmarks-and-red-hair-the-anatomical-features-used-to-accuse-women-of-witchcraft-in-the-17th-century-240621

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: UConn Receives $500,000 from Travelers to Support Housing Stipends for UConn Hartford Students

Source: US State of Connecticut

The UConn Foundation today announced that it will receive $500,000 from Travelers spread over the next five years to help cover the cost of room and board for qualified UConn students at the new, 200-bed residence hall on Pratt Street in Hartford.

This marks a pivotal moment for the UConn Hartford campus, which will offer student housing for the first time when the apartment-style units open in fall 2026. The project involves transforming a former law office into a vibrant, residential community, part of the university’s broader strategy to elevate student education and experiences.

“Thanks to this generous gift from Travelers, more students will have access to our new residence hall, which will have a transformative impact on their education and lives,” says Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, campus dean and chief administrative officer at UConn Hartford. “The residence hall will serve as a catalyst for learning as well as connecting students to the rich historical, cultural, political, and business resources of our capital city.”

In a 2023 survey, about 70% of UConn Hartford undergraduates expressed interest in nearby student housing. Many students noted that affordability is crucial, given that most currently reside with parents.

The new housing initiative aligns with UConn’s vision, alongside state and local leaders, to establish Hartford as a “college town” where students play an integral role in the city’s cultural landscape.

“Our relationship with UConn spans decades, and we are proud to be a part of the university’s efforts in expanding its presence in downtown Hartford,” says Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Travelers. “UConn’s dedication to excellence in education is why it was one of our inaugural partners when we started our school-to-career pipeline program, Travelers EDGE, 17 years ago. Together, we are helping to build a brighter future for our city and state.”

Travelers EDGE, a program that aims to give students increased access to higher education and career preparation, has supported 133 UConn scholars since its inception, with 93 interning at Travelers and 35 graduates accepting full-time jobs at the company.

“We are thrilled that Travelers is making this transformational investment in UConn, our students, and the city of Hartford through this $500,000 donation,” says Nathan Fuerst, UConn’s vice president for student life and enrollment.

“This visionary gift ensures the success of UConn’s expanded footprint in Hartford and helps alleviate the financial barriers facing many students who choose to live downtown. It also brings more scholars to downtown, where many will stay and establish deep roots,” Fuerst says.

The new residence hall is one of many initiatives UConn has underway to deepen its ties with the capital city. The University recently opened its new Community Intersections & Innovation Space for research and academic use near the XL Center and is opening a café for students next fall in the Hartford Times main campus building.

The UConn Foundation also recently launched the Hartford Residential Scholars Enhancement Fund to raise additional funds to support qualifying UConn Hartford students. Find more information about supporting the Hartford Residential Scholars Enhancement Fund [here].

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ‘It’s Alive!’ (and Guilty?): Student Considers Whether Frankenstein’s Monster Could Be Held Liable in Court of Law

Source: US State of Connecticut

For 10 weeks this summer, Gianna Socci worked hard for a sole purpose.

As if her gift was the plunder of information from the stacks of libraries in southwestern Connecticut, piece by piece she stitched together thoughts, contentions, and beliefs, her own cheeks pale with study, as she infused life into the inanimate body that’s become her very own creation.

“I’d never taken on a beast this size before,” Socci ’25 (CLAS) says. “I would get very stressed out that I wasn’t going to be able to finish this. I wasn’t going to be able to write something that made sense. I wasn’t going to be able to bring this all together and I feared I bit off more than I could chew.”

Clinging to the hope the next day or the next would bring success, Socci labored to coax to life the 62 pages that have become her greatest academic triumph to date: “Monstrosity on Trial: Claiming Legal Personhood for Frankenstein’s Monster.”

This is a project Socci conceived nearly two years ago, when as a sophomore she sought to convert her Introduction to Literary Studies course into an honors credit, which requires a larger research project, namely a more in-depth look at one of the books read that semester.

“I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health.” – Victor Frankenstein in describing his work in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”

As an English and political science double major who expects one day to take up the study of law, Socci heeded the advice of associate professor Dwight Codr and looked at Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein” through a legal lens.

What started as an honors conversion paper became a much larger Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) grant proposal, replete with a reading plan of an admittedly ambitious 37 works, including dense legal case studies, she says. The funding allowed her the space in June, July, and August to focus on her work, without worrying about money.

“Research in the humanities is very rare to begin with,” she says, “and I don’t think a lot of people understand what it entails. When you’re a STEM major, you can lay out lab steps, you can show people graphs, diagrams, and lab methods. It’s very quantitative, whereas humanities research is reading, taking notes, thinking, and writing.”

It’s nonetheless important, she argues.

Not the Frankenstein you might imagine

One of the first things Socci says she was shocked to learn when reading “Frankenstein” the first time two years ago was that the character of Frankenstein, contrary to popular belief, is not the monster depicted in the story.

Gianna Socci ’25 (CLAS) (Contributed photo)

Victor Frankenstein is the young doctor who brings to life an 8-foot-tall monster – born of inanimate body parts he stole from graves and mortuaries. Most contemporary depictions of Frankenstein wrongly show him as the flat-headed, green, almost zombie-like monster with bolts in his neck.

That is, in fact, Frankenstein’s “creature,” who in Shelley’s book is never given a name, referred to only by such descriptors as “devil,” “thing,” and “ogre.”

“The other thing that struck me – and this might just be my poli-sci brain at work – was that she included three legal proceedings in the novel, three specific examples of courtroom trials, and that’s not something that’s talked about. You typically think of ‘Frankenstein’ as a very science-fiction text,” Socci says.

Those trials, in which the defendants aren’t in fact guilty of the crimes they’re accused, got Socci thinking about how the law weaves itself through the novel and found herself wondering: What if Frankenstein’s monster was granted legal personhood and able to stand trial for his wrongdoings?

Before she could answer, she needed to tackle the idea of what it means to be a legal person and how that idea has been used over time. She turned to legal theory, philosophy, history, and Shelley’s text for answers.

“Legal personhood is a status, which means someone has rights and privileges but can also be held responsible for their actions,” she explains. “It’s twofold and it’s been expanded and contracted over time to include and exclude so many different things and people.

“Slaves had a very limited form of personhood. Women had a very limited form of personhood. Animals at one time were granted legal personhood and could be put on trial, which is completely absurd,” she continues. “The law is flexible and almost subject to the politics of the time. That reminded me, as a citizen, as a woman in contemporary times, the importance of paying attention to that.”

“My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement. Sometimes, on the very brink of certainty, I failed; yet still I clung to the hope which the next day or the next hour might realise.” – Victor Frankenstein in describing his work in Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”

Things like cognition and competency are used in helping distinguish personhood, even intent and mental capacity. And when Socci looked to the novel for these characteristics as they relate to the monster, her conclusion was clear.

“He is a completely cognizant being who acted with intent,” she says. “He was very aware of what he was doing. He could express himself. He was extremely human in every way but his physical appearance. Violence is never the answer, and his reasoning for violence is flawed, but it’s reasoning, nonetheless. He’s angry, and he’s acting in a very methodical way. He is totally eligible to stand trial.”

‘Abstractions rule our lives’

Socci says that at the outset of her research, when telling people how she was spending her summer, she started to wonder why she was even bothering. Arguing about whether Frankenstein’s monster could be held criminally liable for his actions is an exercise in the abstract.

Except it is relevant, she was reminded.

In an interview with an Australian professor who’d written about personhood, she asked why any of this mattered.

“He said abstractions rule our lives. These legal definitions, these philosophical foundations are what govern our whole being,” she says. “We don’t really think of ourselves in legal terms that often, so it can seem unimportant. But it’s how we have the right to vote. It’s how we have the right to express ourselves. It’s how we’re seen by the government.”

Suddenly, what once was hypothetical was much more concrete.

The European Union this year adopted the AI Act, Socci notes, which, in part, rates various artificial intelligence technologies on their risk level – high-risk AI is more autonomous and can operate with minimal human intervention, for example. The AI Act seeks to regulate high-risk artificial intelligence.

Consider Hollywood movies like “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” in which the artificial life form, Ultron, seeks to destroy. Technology advances rapidly and might not be that far off from the movies.

“If an AI is a sentient being and it decides to act out on its own will and is harming someone, we’re going to have to start thinking about liability,” Socci says. “My theory holds the monster accountable and therefore would hold the AI accountable. Then, if you can hold the AI accountable, shouldn’t they also have rights and be able to vote if we’re talking about the dual edge of legal personhood.”

Illustration from Frankenstein (Adobe stock)

Socci surmises that humans will be unlikely to put robots and technology on the same level as themselves, but that conversation may very well need to be had, which means the hypothetical turns real.

In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision that gave corporations the right to make political donations, the reasoning, Socci says, is that businesses have a right to free speech, in this case through their dollar, and that can’t be infringed upon.

“Legal personhood is not the reason for that decision, but if you go through the legal text, the chief justice uses very personifying language when talking about corporations, saying they can bring a good perspective into the democratic dialogue. And suddenly, corporations can talk like people. This tendency to personify the inanimate is where we see legal personhood bleeding into our contemporary scheme,” she says.

A story about injustice

In a planned career as a lawyer, Socci says she’ll take many of the things she’s learned from this project and apply them to work with abused and neglected children, who oftentimes need an advocate to protect their rights.

And in a way, children are a little like the monster – seeking to belong, looking to be molded, hungry for learning. Victor Frankenstein’s rejection of the monster, in the same way a parent might reject a child, results in lifelong ramifications.

“You might feel sad for the monster because all he really wants is to be part of the human community,” Socci says. “There’s a whole segment of the book in which he is watching the DeLacey family from far away in his hovel. He realizes they’re poor, so he starts leaving food on their steps. He shovels their driveway. He helps them out despite the fact he’s been rejected by his creator.”

Socci says that while there are dozens of ways one could analyze the story, for her, “Frankenstein” boils down to a tale of injustice.

“We hear the word ‘monster,’ and we think ‘beast.’ We’re scared. Something’s uncivilized. Something is rowdy. Something is dangerous. But the monster, in the beginning, is anything but that,” she says. “He’s a very rational individual who just wants to be close to someone. I think Shelley is asking us to think about the definitions we’ve applied to others.”

And that interpretation may become part three of “Monstrosity on Trial” – the honors conversion project turned SURF grant award, yet-to-become English honors thesis.

“I don’t think there’s going to be another time in my life, unless I become an author, when I’ll have dedicated hours for researching and writing, not worrying about the income I’m missing out on,” Socci says of the SURF grant. “It was honestly a privilege to have this experience.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI China: First World Conference on classics to be held in Beijing

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, Oct. 31 — The inaugural World Conference on Classics, slated for Nov. 6-8 in Beijing, will welcome participants from across the globe to engage in in-depth discussions on topics related to classical civilizations.

Themed “Classical Civilizations and the Modern World,” the event is co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Education of China, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Ministry of Culture of Greece, and the Academy of Athens, according to the secretariat of the conference.

The event seeks to provide a platform for classical civilization researchers and specialists to trace the origins of human thought, distill wisdom from human history, and explore the traditions of human civilization from the perspective of classical studies.

It aims to lay a solid academic foundation for promoting exchange and mutual learning among civilizations, offer insight into addressing modern global issues, and provide new ideas that will drive human progress, thereby better practicing the Global Civilization Initiative and promoting the building of a human community with a shared future.

Representatives from various countries and international organizations, renowned experts and scholars, cultural figures, media professionals, think-tank experts and youth representatives around the world have been invited to the event.

During the conference, the participants will attend two high-level dialogues and multiple parallel forums.

Prior to the conference, foreign participants will tour the provinces of Shandong, Henan and Sichuan to explore the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.

Other activities revolving around the conference will include special exhibitions on themes such as archaeology and the origins of Chinese civilization, and on classical studies achievements, as well as classical-studies-themed activities held at colleges and universities.

MIL OSI China News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NIH study demonstrates long-term benefits of weight-loss surgery in young people

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

Media Advisory

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Adolescents see a greater remission of type 2 diabetes compared to adults.

What

Young people with severe obesity who underwent weight-loss surgery at age 19 or younger continued to see sustained weight loss and resolution of common obesity-related comorbidities 10 years later, according to results from a large clinical study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Study participants with an average age of 17 underwent gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy weight-loss surgery. After 10 years, participants sustained an average of 20% reduction in body mass index (BMI), 55% reduction of type 2 diabetes, 57% reduction of hypertension, and 54% reduction of abnormal cholesterol. Both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy had similar results.

The 55% reduction in type 2 diabetes was much higher than the rates observed in adults after weight-loss surgery (18% at seven years and 12.7% at 12 years) in a recently published NIH-funded study.

Type 2 diabetes tends to progress more rapidly when it occurs in young people, and these findings demonstrate the greater health benefits and durability of bariatric surgery in youth than would be expected in similarly treated adults.

The study, known as Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen LABS), was supported by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through grants DK072493, DK072493, DK095710 and NIH’s National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program grants TR000077 and TR000114.

Data related to these findings are available for request at the NIDDK Central Repository.

Who

Voula Osganian, M.D., a pediatric clinical obesity program director at NIDDK is available to comment on this research.

Reference

Ryder, Justin et al., Ten-year Outcomes Following Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, [2024] New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2404054

The NIDDK, part of the NIH, conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see https://www.niddk.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health^®

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: EUAA takes first steps in implementing €2.8 million grants programme for 2024-2025
Source: European Asylum Support Office

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) will begin to offer financial grants for the first time, with initial projects aiming to support some of the Agency’s activities including providing information to asylum seekers and strengthening its Situational Awareness work. In a pilot phase, the Agency will further develop its database of Asylum Case Law, with a call for proposals launching today.

The EUAA has launched its first call for proposals, as part of a pilot phase for a new EUAA grants programme, with an expected value of 2.8 million euros for 2024-2025. The grants programme is a direct result of the Agency’s strengthened mandate. Grants will be awarded in order to help the Agency to implement several activities that are critical to fulfilling its mandate to support Member States’ asylum and reception systems.

Over the next year, the Agency will prepare a series of calls for proposals that will provide funding to eligible organisations that can support it with several activities including:
- Developing its collection of asylum case law: In its first call for proposals, launching today, the Agency aims to enhance the accessibility to, and collection of, jurisprudence relating to asylum – within the context of the Common European Asylum System.
- Strengthening its information provision activities: The Agency is currently providing operational support in 11 EU countries; in several countries this includes providing information to applicants for international protection. At times, this involves Civil Society organisations and International Organisations, which may soon be able to benefit from EU funding under the EUAA grants programme.
- Strengthening support to resettlement: The Agency will seek to strengthen its resettlement activities by creating new Resettlement and Support Facilities (RSFs). They will serve as important locations for coordinated work between the EUAA and representatives of EU+ countries’ resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes.
- Enhancing the implementation of the European Asylum Curriculum: Comprised of 50 different training modules, a future grant will support national capacity to implement the EUAA’s European Asylum Curriculum, and foster greater convergence in Europe’s asylum and reception systems.
Background

Under Article 56(2) of the EUAA Regulation, the Agency is newly empowered to offer grants, to help it discharge its responsibilities. The Agency supports Member States in implementing their asylum and receptions systems by implementing the tasks set out in Article 2 of the same Regulation. To that end, the Agency will begin to offer grants, in line with the principles of the EU’s Financial Regulation.
MIL OSI Europe News –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: How a House Becomes Legally Haunted: Stambovsky v. Ackley, The “Ghostbuster” Ruling

Source: US Global Legal Monitor

The following is a guest post by Mary-Claire Sarafianos, a former intern with the Digital Resources Division of the Law Library of Congress. She is a second-year Ph.D. student in English at the University of Missouri. She studies silence and structure, both as problems in archives and as features of 19th-century American women’s writing.

In the village of Nyack, New York, an 18-room Victorian estate perches on the edge of the road, looming big and blue above the Hudson River. Local legend proclaimed that the house was haunted. Many a ghost story had been told about this home–a Navy lieutenant from the American Revolution lurking around the basement, an invisible force shaking beds, and a spirit floating and rocking in the middle of the living room. The house and the various spectral presences within it were well-known by the local people of Nyack, but these stories have gone beyond local legend–unlike any other house in American history, 1 La Veta Place was declared, as a matter of law, haunted.

But before the house’s ghosts became a matter of legal record, 1 La Veta Place was considered haunted by locals. The house was even “included in a five-home walking tour of Nyack and described in a November 27th newspaper article as ‘a riverfront Victorian (with ghost).’” (Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254, 256 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991.) During her time living at 1 La Veta Place, Helen Ackley not only spoke publicly about the ghosts, she wrote about them on both a local and national level. Ackley wrote a story detailing her house’s various phantasmal residents in a local newspaper in 1982, in addition to an article she wrote for Reader’s Digest in 1977 that described the ghosts and their relationship to the human inhabitants of the home. (Stambovsky at 256.) Apparently, the ghosts at 1 La Veta Place were an odd but friendly group of phantoms, but when the house went up for sale, these ghost stories were confronted with the looming figure of the law, leading to the case of Stambovsky v. Ackley, or what is colloquially known as “The Ghostbuster Ruling.”

When Ackley put the home up for sale, she hired Ellis Realty, who would become her co-defendant in the ensuing legal trouble. Jeffrey Stambovsky, a New York City resident who was unfamiliar with the Nyack folklore and the reputation of the Ackley home, made an offer on the home for $650,000. (Stambovsky at 256.) But some time between making the down payment and closing on the house, Stambovsky discovered the reputation of 1 La Veta Place. According to the majority opinion, when Stambovsky discovered that he was purchasing an allegedly haunted house, he “sought to rescind the $650,000 contract of sale and obtain return of his $32,500 down payment without resort to litigation.” (Stambovsky at 261.) When this did not work, Stambovsky brought his complaint to court and requested not only to cancel the contract to purchase the home but also to request damages for fraudulent misrepresentation by Ackley and her real estate broker, Ellis Realty. (Stambovsky at 256.) And just like that, the house became less of a local legend and more of a legal entanglement.

[“Spirit” photograph, supposedly taken during a seance, actually a double exposure or composite of superimposed cut-outs, showing woman with portraits of men and women around her head]. Fallis, S. W. 1901. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.40857/.

Stambovsky’s initial complaint was dismissed by the New York County Supreme Court. The court’s decision was influenced by the fact that New York followed the common law doctrine of caveat emptor, meaning “let the buyer beware” in Latin. The doctrine of caveat emptor “places the burden on buyers to reasonably examine property before making a purchase. A buyer who fails to meet this burden is unable to recover for defects in the product that would have been discovered had this burden been met.” Under this doctrine, sellers are not obligated to disclose information to potential buyers and, according to this doctrine, the supposed hauntings of the Ackley home were Stambovsky’s burden to uncover before making an offer on the house. Consequently, the New York County Supreme Court concluded that Stambovsky would neither receive his down payment nor damages, as there was no fraudulent misrepresentation at play. (Stambovsky at 256.) However, Stambovsky persisted and appealed the court’s decision.

The appeals court found that caveat emptor did not apply to Stambovsky’s case. As the majority opinion states, “[a]pplying the strict rule of caveat emptor to a contract involving a house possessed by poltergeists conjures up visions of a psychic or medium routinely accompanying the structural engineer and Terminix man on an inspection of every home subject to a contract of sale.” (Stambovsky at 257.) The appeals court allowed Stambovsky to seek rescission of the contract for sale of the home. (Stambovsky at 260-261.) What the case affirms is not that ghosts exist in a legal sense, but that if the house can be considered haunted enough to merit being a stop on a tour of haunted houses and be the subject of an article in Reader’s Digest, then that spooky reputation must be disclosed to potential buyers.

This verdict presents both sellers and buyers of real estate with complicated questions about the reputations and histories of property and, though not everyone believes in ghosts, houses are often haunted by the crimes, tragedies, and misfortunes that have happened within their walls. Such houses are considered stigmatized properties, which are properties that have been “psychologically impacted by an event which occurred, or was suspected to have occurred, on the property, such an event being one that has no physical impact of any kind.” Whether there is a reputation for ghosts, crime, or misfortune, the public perception of stigmatized property can make it difficult to sell, regardless of the quality of the land or structure. In the case of Stambovsky v. Ackley, the stigmatized nature of the property could actually attract buyers; 1 La Veta Place drew the attention of The Amazing Kreskin, a mentalist who wanted to buy the house, despite its haunted reputation.

The ghost. Melander & Bro. 1874. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/stereo.1s42592/?loclr=bloglaw.

The legal responsibilities of both sellers and buyers of stigmatized property vary from state to state. In New York today, deaths, crimes, or stigmatizing features of a property are not required to be disclosed to a seller, but the buyer may inquire as to any of these concerns and the seller may “choose whether or not to respond to the inquiry.” Pennsylvania law has upheld similar requirements, particularly in the case of Milliken v. Jacono, which concluded that “psychological damage to a property cannot be considered a material defect in the property which must be revealed by the seller to the buyer.” (Milliken v. Jacono, 60 A.3d 133, 138 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2012).) While many states follow New York and Pennsylvania, other states require that sellers disclose to buyers whether certain violent crimes were committed on a property. In Alaska, if a licensee knows that a murder or suicide occurred on the property within the last year, they are obligated to disclose this information to the buyer before an offer is made or accepted. In South Dakota, a similar law is in place that requires a property disclosure statement that includes the question: “Since you have owned the property, are you aware of a human death by homicide or suicide occurring on the property?”

Some states have no requirements or laws on the books that indicate whether a property’s tragic or torrid history needs to be disclosed to the buyer, but certainly no other states have put their caveat emptor doctrines to the test against ghosts in the way that New York has. In the interest of ending on a slightly more humorous note, I turn again to the majority opinion of Stambovsky v. Ackley, which brought a level of humor to the conclusions of the case that have earned it the nickname “The Ghostbusters Ruling.” The majority opinion references the movie Ghostbusters by name and uses even more ghostly puns than I have employed throughout this blog post. (Stambovsky at 257.) The humor of the majority opinion even weaves its way into the logic of the case where the judge states that “if the language of the contract is to be construed as broadly as defendant urges to encompass the presence of poltergeists in the house, it cannot be said that she has delivered the premises ‘vacant’ in accordance with her obligation under the provisions of the contract rider.” (Stambovsky at 260.) In keeping with the humor of the court opinion, this case remains a spot of humor in contract law curricula across the country. Stambovsky v. Ackley and cases like it continue to spark conversation and legislation around caveat emptor and stigmatized property.

If you are interested in learning about how English law handles the disclosure of hauntings, see the previous In Custodia Legis post, “

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: From Lone Stars to Allies – NATO fighter pilots train in Texas

Source: NATO

Wichita Falls, Texas is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, where aspiring aviators from 14 NATO member countries see if they have what it takes to fly with the Alliance’s best.

The home of a transatlantic training mission

Wichita Falls doesn’t seem like a place that should mean anything to a European fighter pilot. But if you were to ask Jade, a lieutenant in the Belgian Air Force, if she’s ever heard of the place, she might give you a knowing smirk.

It’s where she learned to fly.

The sky over Sheppard Air Force Base thundered as sleek jets knifed through the air, breaking left over the runway in preparation for landing. Home of the US Air Force’s 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard owns the busiest airspace in the United States. Planes are constantly landing, taking off or queueing on the long taxiways. A bumper sticker on the back of one car reads: “I Heart Jet Noise.”

The Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program (ENJJPT) has been turning out NATO fighter pilots since 1981, when seven Allies founded the school at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls. Most joint NATO initiatives are based in Europe (where 30 of the 32 NATO member countries are located), but Sheppard was chosen as the ideal location for ENJJPT because of its existing training facilities, year-round good flying weather and the wide-open Texan skies. Today, more than 40 years later, 14 national flags fly outside the squat, brick building that houses ENJJPT’s headquarters, representing the 14 participating NATO Allies: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Inside, Italian pilots saunter through the maze-like corridors, passing groups of Romanians, Norwegians, Spaniards and Danes. In the gear room, Greek instructors put on their flight vests and G-Suits (trousers lined with inflatable air pockets that keep pilots conscious during high-speed turns) and wait for their students. On their way out, they pass groups of Canadian and Turkish students coming back from training sorties, their hair matted with sweat, their faces flushed with victory: it’s another flight down, another step closer to their wings.

Ask one of the European student aviators how they like living in the Lone Star State, and they’ll twist their mouth into a curious smile and say something like: “I like it.” Which might be a polite way of saying: I’m from a small village in Germany and I’ve never heard someone say “yeehaw” before.

Fixin’ to fly – A rigorous training schedule

Not that the students get many chances to sample the local culture. From the moment they arrive at Sheppard and drop their suitcases, their schedules are packed. First stop is “ground school”, where students learn the fundamental science of flight. Then students get fitted for helmets, harnesses and G-suits and climb into their first aircraft, the T-6 Texan II.

With the instructors watching from the backseat, this is where the student aviators take the stick for the first time. They learn how to take off, fly in formation and land, keeping the aircraft on speed and on course. It’s a time of firsts, each with its own tradition: a student’s first flight is called a “Dollar Ride” because students are expected to give their instructors a Silver Dollar coin. After a student’s first solo flight, their classmates haul them off to a nearby pool of water for a well-deserved bath.

From here, some students leave Wichita Falls to learn how to fly multi-engine transport aircraft like the C-130 Hercules. Those destined for fighter jets, however, must conquer the T-38 Talon.

Save a horse, ride a jet plane – training with the Talon

The Talon is skinny as a scalpel, with wings so thin they seem to disappear when viewed head-on. Its long snout slopes up to a bubble canopy, which encloses two ejection seats. It looks fast, and it is; with afterburners lit, it can punch through the sound barrier and send a sonic boom smashing across the north Texas Plains. One Dutch Major, callsign “Homer”, compares it to a ’66 Mustang sports car – fitting, he notes, because the Talon first entered service in the 1960s.

The jet will be replaced in the coming years, but in the meantime it’s still a worthy teacher. Its hydraulic flight controls demand that students pay attention, feeling the jet through the stick and continuously “trimming out” to ensure balanced flight. Its stubby wings are built for maximum speed, not maximum stability, and if the inattentive student bleeds too much speed in a turn, it will fall out of the sky – or, as the instructors prosaically put it, “depart controlled flight.”

When Lieutenant Jade first took off in a Talon, she was used to the T-6 Texan II, and she wasn’t ready for the raw power pumped out by the jet’s two turbojet engines. She had to stand on the brakes to keep the aircraft static as she pushed the throttle to “mil” – full military power. She felt the aircraft tremor as the afterburners lit. When she released the brakes, the jet leapt forward.

“For me, that day was like… I knew I was on the right track,” she said.

Getting back in the saddle

The Talon curriculum is the hardest part of ENJJPT. When students aren’t flying, they’re studying. When they aren’t studying, they’re in the simulator, practising skills like flying in close formation, or the thrill of high-speed, low-level flight. And when they’re not in the simulator, they’re sleeping.

“Sometimes it’s a bit too fast, and I have to catch up,” Jade said. “That’s the biggest struggle I’ve had so far. That gets me feeling down about it, sometimes. But then it’s even more rewarding when you’re able to step up and strive again.”

The students know that success is not guaranteed. Plenty of their peers buckle under the stress and leave the Program to serve out their military commitments elsewhere in their country’s armed forces. But for most, failure is not an option. Washing out would mean turning their back on something that’s called to them all their life.

“Everyone wishes to have an impact on the world,” Jade said. “That’s how I think I can make the biggest impact.”

Earning their wings

If a student proves that they can master the demands of high-speed flight in the Talon, they head towards “Drop Night” – the ceremony where they find out which jet they’re going to fly. For the US Air Force, which operates a variety of fighter, bomber and transport aircraft, the suspense is real. When a student is assigned to their first-pick aircraft, some literally leap with joy and relief.

For Jade, there was little suspense – the Belgian Air Force primarily flies one tactical jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter, although Belgium is now replacing its F-16 fleet with F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters – but the glee in having passed a demanding curriculum was undiluted. When she “dropped” the F-16, she leapt into the air, pumping her fists before being carried away by her cheering classmates.

Jade has since left Sheppard to learn how to fly the F-16. Eventually, perhaps, she’ll be deployed to eastern Europe, where NATO Allies have significantly increased the number of fighters on standby to respond to airborne threats, part of the NATO Air Policing mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Until then, the next generation of aspiring military aviators has already begun training at Sheppard, joining a decades-long tradition of taking to the skies together.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The Academic Council discussed the problems of education and the tasks of the Institute of Physics and Mathematics

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The next meeting of the Polytechnic University Academic Council was marked presentation of the mantle of the Honorary Doctor of SPbPU to the head of the S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, Lieutenant General, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Kryukov.

In addition, the ceremonial part of the meeting, as usual, included the presentation of certificates of academic titles to university employees and the honoring of the best polytechnicians who have earned awards in science, education, social and cultural life and sports.

Rector of SPbPU Andrey Rudskoy congratulated the director of the Higher School of Sports Pedagogy Vladislav Bakayev and professor of the Higher School of Service and Trade Sergey Barykin on being awarded the title of “professor”. The certificate of assignment of the academic title of associate professor was received by the leading research fellow of the laboratory “Synthesis of New Materials and Structures” Vadim Sufiyarov.

The company “Kodeks” received a commemorative medal and gratitude from the university, represented by its CEO andgraduate of the Physics and Mechanics Department of the Polytechnic University Sergei Tikhomirov. “Kodeks” made a significant contribution to the development of the SPbPU Endowment Fund and the formation of the endowment “Development of scientific, educational, youth and educational projects of PhysMech”. Also, for assistance in the formation of the endowment capital of PhysMech, its graduates, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Mechanics and Control Processes Natalia Ermakova and Professor of the Higher School of Applied Mathematics and Computational Physics, received awards. Maxim Frolov.

The Polytechnic University fruitfully cooperates with the Kalininsky District in many areas. The honorary badge “For services to the Kalininsky District” was awarded to the director of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics Dmitry Rodionov.

From October 14 to 17, the super final of the Open International Student Internet Olympiad in Mathematics was held. In the individual standings, the silver medal was won by PhysMech student Chinh Thi Thu Hoai, and the bronze medal was won by IMMiT student Phan Mau Dat. The Polytechnic team included another PhysMech student, Ilya Grishchenko, and the guys also took bronze in the team standings. The scientific supervisor was Maria Bortkovskaya, associate professor of the Department of Higher Mathematics.

The gold medal of the IV International Construction Championship in the individual nomination “Information Modeling” was won by the student of the Civil Engineering Institute Serafim Zagorodniy. In the team standings, the gold of the championship was won by the students of the ICI: Dmitry Zharkov, Alexandra Kulakova, Ulyana Popova, Mikhail Safoshkin and Alina Doroshenko. The expert of the championship, assistant of the Civil Engineering Institute Alexander Mitin received a letter of gratitude from the Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation Irek Faizullin and the General Director of the ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities” Alexey Komissarov.

The next series of congratulations concerned the athletes.

The Polytechnic University team won first place in the overall team standings at the student orienteering competitions within the first stage of the IX All-Russian Summer Universiade and third place in the overall team standings of the Universiade. Pavel Ivanov (IEIT) also won the Universiade in the sprint discipline, and together with Alexander Gumennikov (PhysMech) won silver medals in the men’s relay.

The Polytechnic team won 1st place in the student volleyball competitions as part of the first stage of the Universiade. The Academic Council honored players Egor Tretyakov (IMMiT) and Ilya Smirnov (IE). At the Universiade, our Polytechnic team entered the top 10 best student teams in the country.

Ivan Sokolov, a student at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, won first place in the qualifying tournament for the World Championship in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) “Steel Lion JFC” among juniors and became a Master of Sports of Russia in this sport.

Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Lyudmila Pankova spoke on the meeting agenda. She spoke about the results of work in the 2023–2024 academic year and the tasks for the 2024–2025 academic year.

The number of students as of October 1, 2024 was 33,818. Of these, 30,870 are studying in higher education programs (21,810 in bachelor’s programs, 2,124 in specialist programs, 6,936 in master’s programs), and 2,948 in secondary specialized programs. There are 121 people studying in the specialist program at the branch in Sosnovy Bor. There are 156 people in the general education Natural Science Lyceum.

There are 357 main educational programs at the Polytechnic University, including 142 bachelor’s programs, 15 specialist programs, and 200 master’s programs. There are 22 programs at the college.

In the 2023–2024 academic year, 23 new basic educational programs were launched. For 2024–2025, 19 new basic educational programs were developed: two for bachelor’s degrees, one for specialist degrees, and 16 for master’s degrees.

51 basic educational programs are being implemented under network agreements, including 13 with Slavic universities.

A system of individual achievements has been developed and implemented as a pilot project, allowing teachers to create different trajectories for assessing students, taking into account their individual capabilities, and to conduct interim assessments based on the results of ongoing monitoring of academic performance outside of the examination session.

A project-based approach has been introduced into the state final certification, and defenses of final qualification works have been organized in new formats — as a project and as a startup. 48 students successfully defended their collective final works as a project (21 projects were completed), and 52 people (26 startups) successfully defended their final qualification works as a startup.

A policy in the field of formation has been developed and introduced career trajectories for professional development of teachers. Starting from the 2024–2025 academic year, there will be four career paths: research teacher, mentor teacher, practicing teacher, and intern. The transition to them occurs through a competitive selection of faculty members.

A project to support fundamental training in engineering fields has been launched. A program to improve the quality of teaching fundamental disciplines by reducing the teaching load and providing additional payments has been approved. 181 teachers are participating in the project.

Entrance testing of first-year engineering students in mathematics and physics was conducted to organize in-depth fundamental training for gifted children and remedial training for those who are lagging behind. A pilot program for in-depth study of mathematics and physics for talented students was launched at IMMiT and IKNK.

The second issue on the agenda was also related to fundamental disciplines. To ensure advanced training of students in physics and mathematics, taking into account engineering specifics, the Institute of Physics and Mathematics was created at the Polytechnic. Its director Pavel Zakharov spoke about the IFiM development program.

Also at the meeting, members of the Academic Council voted to award further academic titles to Polytechnic employees. SPbPU Academic Secretary Dmitry Karpov reported on monitoring the implementation of the Academic Council’s decisions.

Photo archive

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Europe should consider putting boots on the ground in Ukraine

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Viktoriia Lapa, Lecturer, Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University

The mantra “as long as it takes” has become the European Union’s rallying cry in support of Ukraine’s resistance against Russia. Initially, some experts predicted that Ukraine would fall within three days – yet nearly three years have passed, and Ukraine is still standing. This prolonged struggle has come at an immense human cost.

It’s clear that the decision to resist was made by the Ukrainian population, and they are grateful to the EU for its support. However, hopes that Ukraine can repel the invaders are fading, and there is no clear end in sight. “As long as it takes” for the EU translates, for Ukrainian ears, to “as many of your lives as we can afford to sacrifice”. Ukrainians are weary, even as they hold the front line, but the west has not communicated a commitment to fully engage in stopping Russian aggression and deterring future threats. Instead, it seems focused on a policy of “de-escalation management”. This only emboldens Russia and its allies.

What is even more concerning is the absence of a coherent strategy for managing Russia. What would the EU do in the event that the war were to magically end tomorrow? Is there a plan in place, or will EU leaders simply offer Russia a reset?

The EU has excelled in rhetoric when it comes to Ukraine but has fallen short in delivering military support. It remains reluctant to draw firm red lines for Russia as a response to attacks on European soil or to adopt a more assertive stance.

The supply of shells to Ukraine is a case in point. The EU pledged to supply 1 million rounds of ammunition by March 2024, but by January, Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, admitted that the bloc would only deliver half of that on time while committing to send 1.1 million shells by the year’s end. To address this shortfall, Czech president Petr Pavel proposed an initiative at the Munich Security Conference in February, aiming to provide 800,000 shells to Ukraine by the year’s end, sourcing ammunition globally instead of solely from EU manufacturers. By August 2024, the EU had sent Ukraine only 650,000 shells out of the promised 1 million.

Various news outlets have reported that the result is a grim picture on the front line, where for every shell fired by Ukraine, Russian forces are firing ten or more.

Additionally, the EU has been reluctant to take decisive action, even in response to Russian attacks on its territory. Recent incidents, such as a narrowly avoided plane crash in Germany attributed to suspected sabotage, reflect a troubling increase in aggressive behaviour from Russian saboteurs. The only response so far has been a relatively weak sanctions framework to be used on those involved in such attacks.

A strategy for the future

The EU must adopt a proactive approach to securing peace in Ukraine, recognising that Russia is currently unwilling to negotiate – but would also never negotiate from a position of weakness.

A clear strategy – including security guarantees for Ukraine, preferably through a pathway to Nato membership – could help put pressure on Russia and facilitate negotiations. It’s clear that bringing Ukraine into Nato might take years, but in the meantime, European countries should consider deploying troops to Ukraine as a security guarantee for this interim period.

As the Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, rightly said: “At the beginning of the year, Emmanuel Macron hinted at putting boots on the ground. At the end of the year, North Korea had actually done so. We are still on the back foot, reacting to escalation instead of reversing it. Macron’s ideas should now be revisited – better late than never.”

Security agreements do of course exist between Ukraine and its EU and G7 partners, but not a single country has hinted at a possibility of providing, as a guarantee for peace, such a security guarantee as “troops on the ground”. EU countries must consider this seriously.

And with a view to what happens after the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the EU needs at least the beginnings of an idea about what its terms would be for re-engaging with Russia. Otherwise it risks enabling Russia to set its own terms.

The situation on the ground is dire. While the west boasts economic strength, it lacks visionary leadership and political will. It should not allow Russia to take the lead and must adopt a clear strategy for Ukraine’s victory. Otherwise, we are heading toward the scenario described by Timothy Garton Ash in his Financial Times article advocating for Ukraine’s accession to Nato:

Consider the alternative. A defeated, divided, demoralized, depopulated Ukraine, pulsating with anger against the West and – as Zelenskyy hinted last week – probably seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Moscow triumphant. The rest of the world concluding that the West is a paper tiger. Xi Jinping encouraged to have a go at Taiwan. Biden and Harris going down in history as the leaders who ‘lost Ukraine’.

One could add: the EU faces disintegration, regressing to its pre-union state. Ursula von der Leyen is remembered as the leader whose “as long as it takes” policy resulted in an epic failure to secure a safer future for Europe and Ukraine. Does the west want to see itself in this way?

Viktoriia Lapa is an Affiliated Scholar at the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development, a research partnership between the School of Law of the University of Bologna and the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna, Italy (SAIS Europe).

– ref. Why Europe should consider putting boots on the ground in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/why-europe-should-consider-putting-boots-on-the-ground-in-ukraine-242279

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: ‘Noah’s arks’ for fruit trees: How conservation orchards preserve and boost biodiversity

Source: The Conversation – France – By Amandine Cornille, Research associate professor, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

There are wild apple orchards across France, including on the Saclay plateau south of Paris. Fourni par l’auteur

The COP16 biodiversity conference opened on October 21, 2024. The UN conference is an opportunity to highlight that biodiversity is crucial for ensuring a sustainable food system. However, it is directly threatened by climate change and its side effects, such as the emergence of parasites. These disruptions, which reduce crop productivity and increase harvest uncertainty, threaten global food security.

Finding solutions to save the viability of our crops is a priority. In this area, the wild relatives and varieties of currently cultivated plants offer a source of genetic diversity for coping with global changes. Indeed, for thousands of years, they have faced major environmental changes. Some wild species have thus contributed to the adaptation of cultivated plants to high altitudes and various climatic conditions.

If we intend to rely on wild relatives to ensure crop diversification, we must characterize their diversity and ability to respond to climate change. Conservation and development programmes for diversity in agrosystems have already been initiated for annual species, such as cereals. Perennial species, like fruit trees, however, remain too neglected, even as human activities threaten their wild relatives. It is high time to come to their rescue!

The limitations of large seed banks for protecting fruit trees

Vavilov Institute, Saint Petersburg.
Dag Terje Filip Endresen, CC BY-NC-ND

Faced with the collapse of biodiversity, nearly 2,000 seed banks have been created worldwide. The oldest, a pioneer in conserving the genetic diversity of plants, was established over 100 years ago in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at the Vavilov Institute, named after the scientist who initiated these collections. Another well-known example is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set up in Norway in 2008. These “bunkers” are essential for preserving the genetic diversity of as many cultivated plant species and their wild relatives as possible. However, they are somewhat challenging to utilise in emergencies for certain plant species.

While new seeds can be obtained within a year for annual cereals, fruit trees can take years to reach sexual maturity and produce flowers and pollen, which presents a major challenge. Crossbreeding wild relatives with cultivated species, necessary to introduce favourable traits such as parasite resistance or climate adaptation, is lengthy. Leveraging the genetic heritage of fruit trees to address immediate challenges requires access to genetic material from mature trees, whose traits are already known and proven under specific environmental conditions. Therefore, genetic resource “bunkers,” while crucial for preserving diversity, are insufficient for fruit trees.

Our access to the genetic diversity of cultivated fruit trees and their wild relatives is currently limited, making it difficult to address the rapid changes occurring globally.

Conservation orchards: the “Noah’s arks” for fruit trees

Fruit trees have played a central role in human history through their economic and cultural value. The genetic exchanges between wild and cultivated fruit trees form the basis for the diversity of shape and taste in our fruits. The wild relatives of these cultivated fruit trees also have a significant role to play, as they have demonstrated resilience to parasites and climate change.

Conservation orchards, or living collections, for fruit trees serve as a means to preserve genetic diversity while making it available in case of emergencies to preempt threats associated with global changes. Unlike seed banks, these collections provide immediate access to the necessary materials (pollen and flowers) for crossbreeding in varietal improvement programmes, as well as for reforestation and the conservation of wild relatives in forests.

These conservation orchards also serve as open-air laboratories to study the response of fruit trees to climate conditions and parasite attacks, as well as the evolutionary and ecological processes that give rise to biodiversity. These spaces of genetic diversity, where different genotypes are planted over several years across a large area, also help limit the emergence of parasites by controlling their populations, thereby maintaining the delicate balance of biodiversity and ensuring dynamic agroecosystems. Finally, they act as venues for outreach and scientific mediation to raise awareness about fruit biodiversity in agroecosystems and ecosystems.

The “poor cousins” in conservation efforts

In France, living collections of cultivated fruit trees, housed by both research institutes and associations such as the “Croqueurs de Pommes” (munchers of apples) represent a valuable genetic heritage. In 2020, 168,400 hectares of orchards were recorded; however, wild fruit tree orchards are less documented and much rarer. This is regrettable, considering that these wild relatives are directly threatened by habitat fragmentation and gene flow from cultivated fruit trees in orchards, even though they are invaluable allies in addressing climate change.

However, there are some notable examples, such as the conservation orchards of wild olive trees at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) centre in Montpellier, the wild plum orchard in Lorraine, the wild apricot orchards at the INRAE centre in Bordeaux-Aquitaine, and various wild apple orchards across France including on the Saclay plateau [https://x.com/PommierVerger]. These orchards, established with the help of research institutes and local public initiatives, provide a unique opportunity to study the impact of parasite attacks and climate change on cultivated fruit trees and their wild relatives. Many more are being established across Europe, so it’s definitely something to keep an eye on!

Screening local fruit trees to help them adapt to global changes

Public involvement via citizen science is another way to gather information for the conservation of genetic diversity of fruit trees. Individuals can directly collect data from fruit trees near them – whether in their gardens, public parks or nearby fields – to advance research. These valuable contributions help ensure the monitoring of changes in flowering times related to climate change.

This aligns with initiatives launched through Pl@ntNet, an application that allows users to identify plant species using a simple photo, and Tela Botanica, which connects beginners with expert botanists to assist in launching collaborative projects.

By investing in the creation and maintenance of new orchards, strengthening collaboration among research institutes, associations and conservation organisations, and mobilising the public, one can play a role in preserving fruit biodiversity while enhancing fruit trees’ resilience to increasing environmental pressures.

Acknowledgments: Evelyne Leterme, Henri Fourey, Mathieu Brisson, Amandine Hansart, Alexandra Detrille, Mouhammad Noormohamed, the association Les Croqueurs de Pommes, and all project collaborators and participants as well as the general public.

Amandine Cornille (associate professor at New York University Abu Dhabi) has received funding from NYUAD, CNRS (ATIP-Avenir CNRS-Inserm), the European LEADER/FEDER program, the BNP Paribas “Climate and Biodiversity Initiative” Foundation, Institut Diversité Ecologie et Evolution du Vivant (IDEEV), Université Paris Saclay, CNRS, AgroParistech, INRAE, Center for interdisciplinary studies on biodiversity, agroecology, society and climate (C-BASC), CLand Convergence Institute and ANR.

Karine Alix has received funding from AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, ANR and IDEEV.

– ref. ‘Noah’s arks’ for fruit trees: How conservation orchards preserve and boost biodiversity – https://theconversation.com/noahs-arks-for-fruit-trees-how-conservation-orchards-preserve-and-boost-biodiversity-242421

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Natural Resources and Environment: Disaster Mitigation and Resilience Subcommittee to Hold First Meeting
Source: US State of Georgia

ATLANTA (October 30, 2024) — On Monday, November 4, at 9:00 a.m., the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Subcommittee on Disaster Mitigation and Resilience, chaired by Sen. Lee Anderson (R–Grovetown), will hold its first meeting in Newnan.

EVENT DETAILS:
- Date: Monday, November 4, 2024
- Time: 9:00 a.m.
- Location: Newnan High School, 190 Lagrange St, Newnan, GA 30263
- This event is open to the public and will be live-streamed on the Georgia General Assembly website here.
ABOUT THE MEETING:

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment has general jurisdiction over issues related to the development, regulation and conservation of the state’s public lands and its natural resources, which includes water, energy and wildlife. Additional Senate members appointed to serve on the subcommittee include Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas), Sen. Matt Brass (R–Newnan), Sen. Frank Ginn (R–Danielsville), Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch (R–Dahlonega), Sen. Russ Goodman (R–Cogdell), Sen. Marty Harbin (R–Tyrone), Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D–Dawson) and Sen. Sam Watson (R–Moultrie). More information on the subcommittee can be found here.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:

We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting Jantz Womack at SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

# # # #

Sen. Lee Anderson serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment. He represents the 24^th Senate District, which includes Elbert, Greene, Hart, Lincoln, Oglethorpe, and Wilkes County, as well as most of Columbia County. He can be reached at 404.656.5114 or via email at lee.anderson@senate.ga.gov

MIL OSI USA News –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Autumn Budget 2024 speech

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Autumn Budget 2024 speech as delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Delivered on:

30 October 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Madam Deputy Speaker…

[redacted political content]

This government was given a mandate.

To restore stability to our economy…

… and to begin a decade of national renewal.

To fix the foundations…

… and deliver change.

Through responsible leadership in the national interest.

That is our task.

And I know that we can achieve it.

My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever.

And the prize on offer is immense.

As my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister said on Monday – change must be felt.

More pounds in people’s pockets.

An NHS that is there when you need it.

An economy that is growing, creating wealth and opportunity for all…

… because that is the only way to improve living standards.

And the only way to drive economic growth…

… is to invest, invest, invest.

There are no shortcuts.

And to deliver that investment…

… we must restore economic stability…

[redacted political content]

INHERITANCE

[redacted political content]

… it is the first Budget in our country’s history to be delivered by a woman.

I am deeply proud to be Britain’s first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer.

To girls and young women everywhere, I say:

Let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and your dreams.

And along with the pride that I feel standing here today…

… there is also a responsibility…

… to pass on a fairer society and a stronger economy to the next

generation of women.

[redacted political content]

A black hole in the public finances…

Public services on their knees….

A decade of low growth.

And the worst parliament on record for living standards.

Let me begin with the public finances.

In July, I exposed a £22bn black hole

[redacted political content]

The Treasury’s reserve, set aside for genuine emergencies…

… spent three times over…

… just three months into the financial year.

Today, on top of the detailed document that I have provided to the House in July…

… the government is publishing a line by line breakdown of the £22bn black hole that we inherited…

It shows hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances…

… this year, and into the future too.

The Office for Budget Responsibility have published their own review of the circumstances around the Spring Budget forecast.

They say that the previous government – and I quote – “did not provide the OBR with all the [available] information to them”…

… and – had they known about these “undisclosed spending pressures that have since come to light”…

… then their Spring Budget forecast for spending would have been, and I quote again: “materially different”.

Let me be clear: that means any comparison between today’s forecast and the OBR’s March forecast is false…

… because the party opposite hid the reality of their public spending plans.

Yet at the very same budget…

… they made another ten billion pounds worth of cuts to National Insurance.

[redacted political content]

That’s why today, I can confirm that we will implement in full…

… the 10 recommendations from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility’s review.

But, the country has inherited not just broken public finances…

… but broken public services too.

The British people can see and feel that in their everyday lives.

NHS waiting lists at record levels.

Children in portacabins as school roofs crumble.

Trains that do not arrive.

Rivers filled with polluted waste.

Prisons overflowing.

Crimes which are not investigated…

… and criminals who are not punished.

That is the country’s inheritance

Since 2021, there had been no detailed plans for departmental spending set out beyond this year.

And [redacted political content] plans relied on a baseline for spending this year which we now know was wrong…

… because it did not take into account the £22bn black hole.

The previous government also failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise.

That includes funding for vital compensation schemes…

… for victims of two terrible injustices…

[redacted political content]

… the infected blood scandal…

… and the Post Office Horizon scandal.

The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state…

… but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.

Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full…

… with £11.8bn in this budget.

And I am also today setting aside £1.8bn to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal…

… redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.

[redacted political content]

… and we will restore stability to our country again.

The scale and seriousness of the situation that we have inherited cannot be underestimated.

Together, the hole in our public finances this year, which recurs every year…

… the compensation schemes that they did not fund…

… and their failure to assess the scale of the challenges facing our public services…

… means this budget raises taxes by £40bn.

Any Chancellor standing here today would have to face this reality.

And any responsible Chancellor would take action.

That is why today, I am restoring stability to our public finances…

… and rebuilding our public services.

FISCAL RULES / OBR FORECASTS

Economy forecast/growth

As a former economist at the Bank of England, I know what it means to respect our economic institutions.

I want to put on record my thanks to the Governor of the Bank, Andrew Bailey…

… and to the independent Monetary Policy Committee.

Today, I can confirm that we will maintain the MPC’s target of two per cent inflation, as measured by the 12-month increase in the Consumer Prices Index.

I want to thank James Bowler, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and my team of officials.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank my predecessors as Chancellor of the Exchequer…

… for their wise counsel as I have prepared for this Budget.

[redacted political content]

Finally, I want to thank Richard Hughes and his team at the Office for Budget Responsibility for their work in preparing today’s economic and fiscal outlook.

Let me now take the House through that forecast.

The cost of living crisis under the last government stretched household finances to their limit, with inflation hitting a peak of above 11%.

Today, the OBR say that CPI inflation will average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, then 2.3% in 2026, 2.1% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028 and 2.0% in 2029.

Next, I move on to economic growth.

Today’s budget marks an end to short-termism.

So I am pleased, that for the first time, the OBR have published not only five year growth forecasts…

… but a detailed assessment of the growth impacts of our policies over the next decade, too…

… and the new Charter for Budget Responsibility, which I am publishing today, confirms that this will become a permanent feature of our framework.

The OBR forecast that real GDP growth will be 1.1% in 2024, 2.0% in 2025, 1.8% in 2026, 1.5% in 2027, 1.5% in 2028 and 1.6% in 2029.

And the OBR are clear: this Budget will permanently increase the supply capacity of the economy…

[redacted political content]

… boosting long-term growth.

Every Budget I deliver will be focused on our mission to grow the economy.

And underpinning that mission are the seven key pillars of our growth strategy…

… developed and delivered alongside business…

… all driven forward by our Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

First, and most important, is to restore economic stability. That is my focus today.

Second, increasing investment and building new infrastructure is vital for productivity, so we are catalysing £70bn of investment through our National Wealth Fund…

… and we are transforming our planning rules to get Britain building again.

Third, to ensure that all parts of the UK can realise their potential…

… we are working with the devolved governments…

… and partnering with our Mayors to develop local growth plans.

Fourth, to improve employment prospects and skills we are creating Skills England, delivering our plans to Make Work Pay and tackling economic inactivity.

Fifth, we are launching our long-term modern industrial strategy and expanding opportunities for our small and medium sized businesses to grow.

Sixth, to drive innovation we are protecting record funding for research and development to harness the full potential of the UK’s science base.

And finally, to maximise the growth benefits of our clean energy mission, we have confirmed key investments such as Carbon Capture and Storage to create jobs in our industrial heartlands.

Our approach is already having an impact.

Just two weeks ago – we delivered an International Investment Summit which saw businesses commit £63.5bn of investment into this country…

… creating nearly 40,000 jobs across the United Kingdom.

[redacted political content]

Economic growth will be our mission for the duration of this parliament.

Stability rule

Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we set out the fiscal rules that would guide this government.

I am confirming those today…

Our stability rule…

And our investment rule…

The “stability rule” means that we will bring the current budget into balance…

… so that we do not borrow to fund day to day spending.

We will meet this rule in 2029-30, until that becomes the third year of the forecast.

From then on, we will balance the current budget in the third year of every budget, held annually each autumn.

That will provide a tougher constraint on day to day spending…

… so difficult decisions cannot be constantly delayed or deferred.

The OBR say that the current budget will be in deficit by £26.2bn in 2025-26 and £5.2bn in 2026-27…

… before moving into surplus of £10.9bn in 2027-28, £9.3bn in 2028-29 and £9.9bn in 2029-30…

… meeting our stability rule…

… two years early.

Monthly public sector finances data shows that government borrowing in the first six months of this year…

… was already running significantly higher than the OBR’s March forecast.

And so the OBR confirmed today, that borrowing in this financial year is now £127bn…

[redacted political content]

The increase in the net cash requirement in 24-25 is lower than the increase in borrowing, at £22.3bn higher than the spring forecast.

Because of the action that we are taking…

… borrowing falls from 4.5% of GDP this year to 2.1% of GDP by the end of the forecast.

Public sector net borrowing will be £105.6bn in 2025-26, £88.5bn in 2026-27, £72.2bn in 2027-28, £71.9bn in 2028-29 and £70.6bn in 2029-2930.

FIXING THE FOUNDATIONS

Spending

Madam Deputy Speaker, before I come to tax…

… it is vital that we are driving efficiency and reducing wasteful spending.

In July, to begin delivering, and dealing with our inheritance…

… I made £5.5bn of savings this year.

Today we are setting a 2% productivity, efficiency and savings target for all departments to meet next year…

… by using technology more effectively and joining up services across government

As set out in our manifesto, I will shortly be appointing our Covid Corruption Commissioner, they will lead our work to uncover those companies that used a national emergency to line their own pockets.

Because that money belongs in our public services. And taxpayers want that money back.

And I can confirm today that David Goldstone has been appointed as the Chair of the new Office for Value for Money…

… to help us realise the benefits from every pound of public spending.

Welfare

Today, I am also taking three steps to ensure that welfare spending is more sustainable.

First, we inherited [redacted political content] plans to reform the Work Capability Assessment.

We will deliver those savings…

…as part of our fundamental reforms to the health and disability benefits system that my Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary will bring forward.

Second, I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system…

… often the work of criminal gangs.

We will expand DWP’s counter-fraud teams..

… using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity…

… and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters…

… including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt.

This package saves £4.3bn a year by the end of the forecast.

Third, the government will shortly be publishing the “Get Britain Working” white paper…

… tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.

… and we will provide £240m for 16 trailblazer projects…

… targeted at those who are economically inactive and most at risk of being out of education, employment or training…

… to get people into work and reduce the benefits bill.

Tax avoidance

Before a government could consider any change to a tax rate or threshold…

… it must ensure that people pay what they already owe.

So we will invest to modernise HMRC’s systems using the very best technology…

… and recruit additional HMRC compliance and debt staff.

We will clamp down on those umbrella companies who exploit workers…

… increase the interest rate on unpaid tax debt to ensure that people pay on time…

… and go after promoters of tax avoidance schemes.

These measures to reduce the tax gap raise £6.5bn by the end of the forecast…

… and I want to thank the Exchequer Secretary for his outstanding work on this agenda.

PROTECTING WORKING PEOPLE

Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that for working people up and down our country…

… family finances are stretched…

… and pay checks don’t go as far as they once did.

So today, I am taking steps to support people with the cost of living.

Cost of living

[redacted political content]

As promised in our manifesto, we asked the Low Pay Commission to take account of the cost of living for the first time.

I can confirm that we will accept the Low Pay Commission recommendation to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour…

… worth up to £1,400 a year for a full-time worker.

And for the first time, we will move towards a single adult rate…

… phased in over time…

… by initially increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3% as recommended by the Low Pay Commission…

… taking it to £10 an hour.

[redacted political content]

Second, I have heard representations from colleagues across this house about the Carer’s Allowance…

… and the impact of the current policy on carers looking to increase the hours they work…

… including from the Honourable member for Shipley, the Honourable member for Scarborough and Whitby and the Rt Hon Member for Kingston and Surbiton, too.

Carer’s allowance currently provides up to £81.90 per week to help those with additional caring responsibilities.

Today, I can confirm that we are increasing the weekly earnings limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage per week…

… the largest increase in Carer’s Allowance since it was introduced in 1976.

That means a carer can now earn over £10,000 a year while receiving Carer’s Allowance…

… allowing them to increase their hours where they want to…

… and keep more of their money.

I am also concerned about the cliff-edge in the current system and the issue of overpayments.

My Right Honourable Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has announced an independent review to look at the issue of overpayments, and we will work across this house to develop the right solutions.

Third, we will provide £1bn from next year to extend the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help those facing financial hardship with the cost of essentials.

Fourth, having heard representations from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Trussell and others…

… to reduce the level of debt repayments that can be taken from a household’s Universal Credit payment each month…

… by reducing it from 25% to 15% of their standard allowance.

This means that 1.2 million of the poorest households will keep more of their award each month…

… lifting children out of poverty…

… and those who benefit will gain an average of £420 a year.

Madam Deputy Speaker, our Plan to Make Work Pay will also protect working people.

[redacted political content]

It is right that we protect those who have worked their whole lives.

In our manifesto, we promised to transfer the Investment Reserve Fund in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to members…

… and I have listened closely to my Honourable Friends for Easington, Doncaster Central, Blaenau Gwent, and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on this issue.

Today we are keeping our promise…

… so that working people who powered our country receive the fair pension that they are owed.

Our manifesto committed to the Triple Lock…

… meaning spending on the State Pension is forecast to rise by over £31bn by 2029-30…

… to ensure that our pensioners are protected in their retirement.

This commitment means that while working age benefits will be uprated in line with CPI, at 1.7%…

… the basic and new State Pension…

… will be uprated by 4.1% in 2025-26.

This means that over 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year…

… up to £275 more than if uprated by inflation.

The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also rise by 4.1%…

… from around £11,400 per year to around £11,850 for a single pensioner.

Fuel duty

While I have sought to protect working people with measures to reduce the cost of living…

… I have had to take some very difficult decisions on tax.

I want to set out my approach to fuel duty.

Baked into the numbers that I inherited from the previous government…

… is an assumption that fuel duty will rise by RPI next year…

… and that the temporary 5p cut will be reversed.

To retain the 5p cut…

… and to freeze fuel duty again…

… would cost over £3bn next year.

At a time when the fiscal position is so difficult…

… I have to be frank with the House that this is a substantial commitment to make.

I have concluded…

… that in these difficult circumstances…

… while the cost of living remains high…

… and with a backdrop of global uncertainty…

… increasing fuel duty next year…

… would be the wrong choice for working people.

It would mean fuel duty rising by 7p per litre.

So, I have today decided to freeze fuel duty next year…

… and I will maintain the existing 5p cut for another year, too.

There will be no higher taxes at the petrol pumps next year.

Madam Deputy Speaker, the last government made cuts of £20bn to employees’ and self-employed national insurance in their final two budgets.

[redacted political content]

Because we now know they were based on a forecast which the OBR say would have been “materially different”…

… had they known the true extent of the last government’s cover-up.

Since July, I have been urged on multiple occasions to reconsider these cuts.

To increase the taxes that working people pay and see in their payslips.

But I have made an important choice today:

To keep every single commitment that we made on tax in our manifesto.

So I say to working people:

I will not increase your National Insurance…

…I will not increase your VAT…

…And I will not increase your income tax.

Working people will not see higher taxes in their payslips as a result of the choices I make today.

That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled.

TAX

But any responsible Chancellor would need to take difficult decisions today.

To raise the revenues required to fund our public services.

And to restore economic stability.

So in today’s Budget, I am announcing an increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions.

We will increase the rate of Employers’ National Insurance by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, from April 2025.

And we will reduce the Secondary Threshold – the level at which employers start paying national insurance on each employee’s salary – from £9,100 per year to £5,000.

This will raise £25bn per year by the end of the forecast period.

I know that this is a difficult choice.

I do not take this decision lightly.

We are asking business to contribute more…

… and I know that there will be impacts of this measure felt beyond businesses, too…

… as the OBR have set out today.

But in the circumstances that I have inherited, it is the right choice to make.

Successful businesses depend on successful schools.

Healthy businesses depend on a healthy NHS.

And a strong economy depends on strong public finances.

[redacted political content]

That is the choice our country faces too.

As I make this choice, I know it is particularly important to protect our smallest companies.

So having heard representations from the Federation of Small Businesses and others…

… I am today increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500.

This means 865,000 employers won’t pay any National Insurance at all next year…

… and over 1 million will pay the same or less than they did previously.

This will allow a small business to employ the equivalent of 4 full time workers on the National Living Wage…

… without paying any National Insurance on their wages.

Madam Deputy Speaker, let me come now to capital gains tax.

We need to drive growth, promote entrepreneurship, and support wealth creation…

… while raising the revenue required to fund our public services…

… and restore our public finances.

Today, we will increase the lower rate of Capital Gains Tax from 10% to 18%, and the Higher Rate from 20% to 24%…

… while maintaining the rates of capital gains tax on residential property at 18% and 24%, too.

This means the UK will still have the lowest Capital Gains Tax rate of any European G7 economy.

Alongside these changes to the headline rates of Capital Gains Tax…

… we are maintaining the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief at £1m…

… to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in their businesses.

Business Asset Disposal Relief will remain at 10% this year…

… before rising to 14% in April 2025…

… and 18% from 2026-27…

… maintaining a significant gap compared to the higher rate of Capital Gains Tax.

Together, the OBR say these measures will raise £2.5bn by the end of the forecast.

In a sign of this government’s commitment to supporting growth and entrepreneurship…

…we have already extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035…

… and we will continue to work with leading entrepreneurs and venture capital firms…

… to ensure our policies support a positive environment for entrepreneurship in the UK.

Next, inheritance tax.

Only 6% of estates will pay inheritance tax this year.

I understand the strongly held desire to pass down savings to children and grandchildren.

So I am taking a balanced approach in my package today.

First, the previous government froze inheritance tax thresholds until 2028. I will extend that freeze for a further two years, until 2030.

That means the first £325,000 of any estate can be inherited tax-free…

… rising to £500,000 if the estate includes a residence passed to direct descendants….

… and £1m when a tax free allowance is passed to a surviving spouse or civil partner.

Second, we will close the loophole created by the previous government…

… made even bigger when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished…

… by bringing inherited pensions into inheritance tax from April 2027.

Finally, we will reform Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief.

From April 2026, the first £1m of combined business and agricultural assets will continue to attract no inheritance tax at all…

… but for assets over £1m, inheritance tax will apply with 50% relief, at an effective rate of 20%.

This will ensure we continue to protect small family farms…

… and three-quarters of claims will be unaffected by these changes.

I can also announce that we will apply a 50% relief, in all circumstances, on inheritance tax for shares on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and other similar markets…

… setting the effective rate of tax at 20%.

Taken together, these measures raise over £2bn in the final year of the forecast.

Next, I can confirm that the government will renew the Tobacco Duty escalator for the remainder of this Parliament at RPI+2%…

… increase duty by a further 10% on hand-rolling tobacco this year…

… introduce a flat rate duty on all vaping liquid from October 2026…

… alongside an additional one off- increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking.

And we will increase the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to account for inflation since it was introduced…

… as well as increasing the duty in line with CPI each year going forward.

These measures will raise nearly £1bn per year by the end of the forecast period.

Madame Deputy Speaker, we want to support the take-up of electric vehicles.

So I will maintain incentives for electric vehicles in Company Car Tax from 2028…

… and increase the differential between fully electric and other vehicles in the first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty from April 2025.

These measures will raise around £400m by the end of the forecast period.

Madam Deputy Speaker let me update the House on our plans for Air Passenger Duty…

[redacted political content]

Air Passenger Duty has not kept up with inflation in recent years…

… so we are introducing an adjustment…

… meaning an increase of no more than £2 for an economy class short-haul flight.

But I am taking a different approach when it comes to private jets…

… increasing the rate of Air Passenger Duty by a further 50%.

[redacted political content]

These measures will raise over £700m by the end of the forecast period.

Madam Deputy Speaker, let me turn now to our high street businesses.

I know that for them, a major source of concern is business rates.

From 2026-27, we intend to introduce two permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties which make up the backbone of high streets across the country…

… and it is our intention that is paid for by a higher multiplier for the most valuable properties.

[redacted political content]

So I will today provide 40% relief on business rates for the retail, hospitality and leisure industry in 2025-26…

… up to a cap of £110,000 per business.

Alongside this, the small business tax multiplier will be frozen next year.

Next, I can confirm that alcohol duty rates on non-draught products will increase in line with RPI from February next year…

… but nearly two-thirds of alcoholic drinks sold in pubs are served on draught.

So today, instead of uprating these products in line with inflation…

… I am cutting draught duty by 1.7%…

… which means a penny off a pint in the pub.

Alongside the changes I am making today, I am publishing a Corporate Tax Roadmap..

… providing the business certainty called for by the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute for Directors.

This confirms our commitment to cap the rate of Corporation Tax at 25% – the lowest in the G7 – for the duration of this parliament….

… while maintaining full expensing and the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance…

…and keeping the current rates of research and development reliefs, to drive innovation.

Manifesto

Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto we made a number of commitments to raise funding for our public services.

First, I have always said that if you make Britain your home, you should pay your tax here.

So today, I can confirm…

… we will abolish the non-dom tax regime…

… and remove the outdated concept of domicile from the tax system from April 2025.

We will introduce a new, residence based scheme…

… with internationally competitive arrangements for those coming to the UK on a temporary basis…

… while closing the loopholes in the scheme designed by the party opposite.

To further encourage investment into the UK, we will also extend the Temporary Repatriation Relief to three years and expand its scope…

… bringing billions of pounds of new funds into Britain.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility say that this package of measures will raise £12.7bn over the next five years.

Next, the fund management industry provides a vital contribution to our economy…

… but as our manifesto set out, there needs to be a fairer approach to the way carried interest is taxed.

So we will increase the Capital Gains Tax rates on carried interest to 32% from April 2025…

… and – from April 2026 – we will deliver further reforms to ensure that the specific rules for carried interest are simpler, fairer and better targeted.

In our manifesto we committed to reforming stamp duty land tax to raise revenue while supporting those buying their first home.

We are increasing the stamp-duty land tax surcharge for second-homes…

…known as the “Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings”…

… by 2 percentage points, to 5%, which will come into effect from tomorrow.

This will support over 130,000 additional transactions from people buying their first home, or moving home over, the next five years.

Next, we committed to reform the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas companies.

I can confirm today that we will increase the rate of the levy to 38%, which will now expire in March 2030…

… and we will remove the 29% investment allowance.

To ensure the oil and gas industry can protect jobs and support our energy security…

… we will maintain the 100% first year allowances and the decarbonisation allowances too.

Finally, 94% of children in the UK attend state schools.

To provide the highest quality of support and teaching that they deserve…

… we will introduce VAT on private school fees from January 2025…

… and we will shortly introduce legislation to remove their business rates relief from April 2025, too.

We said in our manifesto that these changes…

… alongside our measures to tackle tax avoidance…

… would bring in £8.5bn by the final year of the forecast.

I can confirm today that they will in fact raise over £9bn…

… to support our public services and restore our public finances.

That is a promise made – and a promise fulfilled.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I have one final decision to take on tax today.

The previous government froze income tax and National Insurance thresholds in 2021…

… and then they did so again after the mini-budget.

Extending their threshold freeze for a further two years raises billions of pounds.

Money to deal with the black hole in our public finances…

… and repair our public services.

Having considered this issue closely…

… I have come to the conclusion…

… that extending the threshold freeze…

… would hurt working people.

It would take more money out of their payslips.

I am keeping every single promise on tax that I made in our manifesto.

So there will be no extension of the freeze in income tax and National Insurance thresholds beyond the decisions of the previous government.

From 2028-29, personal tax thresholds will be uprated in line with inflation once again.

When it comes to choices on tax, this government chooses to protect working people every single time.

SPENDING

Madam Deputy Speaker, these are the choices I have made.

To restore economic stability.

And to protect working people.

The next choice I make is to begin to repair our public services.

In recent months, we have conducted the first phase of the Spending Review…

… to set departmental budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26…

… and I want to thank my Right Honourable Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury for his tireless work with colleagues from across government.

Because I have taken difficult decisions on tax today…

… I am able to provide an injection of immediate funding over the next two years…

… to stabilise and to support our public services.

The next phase of the Spending Review will report in late Spring, and I have set the overall envelope today.

Day to day spending from 2024-25 onwards will grow by 1.5% in real terms…

… and total departmental spending, including capital spending, will grow by 1.7% in real terms.

At the election we promised there would be no return to austerity.

Today we deliver on that promise.

But given the scale of the challenges that are facing our public services…

… that means there will still be difficult choices in the next phase of the Spending Review.

Just as we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity…

… nor can we simply spend our way to better public services.

So we will deliver a new approach to public service reform…

… using technology to improve public services…

… and taking a zero-based approach…

… so that taxpayers’ money is spent as effectively as possible…

… and so that we focus on delivering our key priorities.

Spending Review: Phase 1

In the first phase of the Spending Review…

… I have prioritised day-to-day funding to deliver on our manifesto commitments.

I want every child to have the best start in life…

… and the best possible start to the school day, too…

… and I know my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary shares my ambition.

So I am today tripling investment in breakfast clubs to fund them in thousands of schools.

I am increasing the core schools budget by £2.3bn next year…

… to support our pledge to hire thousands more teachers into key subjects.

So that our young people can develop the skills that they need for the future…

… I am providing an additional £300m for further education.

And finally, this government is committed to reforming special educational needs provision…

… to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children and ensure the system is financially sustainable.

To support that work, I am today providing a £1bn uplift in funding, a 6% real terms increase from this year.

There is no more important job for government than to keep our country safe, and we are conducting a Strategic Defence Review to be published next year.

And as set out in our manifesto, we will set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event.

Today, I am announcing a total increase to the Ministry of Defence’s Budget of £2.9bn next year…

… ensuring the UK comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments…

… and providing guaranteed military support to Ukraine of £3bn per year, for as long as it takes.

Last week, alongside my Right Honourable Friend the Defence Secretary, I announced, in addition to this, further support to Ukraine – on top of our NATO commitment…

… through our £2.26bn contribution to the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration agreement…

… repaid using profits from immobilised Russian sovereign assets.

And as we approach Remembrance Sunday…

… it is vital that we take time to remember those who have served our country so bravely.

So I am today announcing funding to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE and VJ day next year…

… to honour those who have served at home and abroad.

We must also remember those who experienced the atrocities of the Nazi regime first hand.

I would like to pay tribute to Lily Ebert, the Holocaust Survivor and educator who passed away aged 100 earlier this month.

I am today committing a further £2m to holocaust education next year…

… so that charities like the Holocaust Educational Trust, can continue their work to ensure these vital testimonies are not lost and are preserved for the future.

Madam Deputy Speaker, to repair our public services we also need to work alongside our mayors and our local leaders.

We will deliver a significant real-terms funding increase for local government next year…

… including £1.3bn of additional grant funding to deliver essential services…

… with at least £600m in grant funding for social care…

… and £230m to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping

We are today confirming that Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be the first mayoral authorities to receive integrated settlements from next year…

… giving Mayors meaningful control of the funding for their local areas.

*

And to support our local high streets…

… we are taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shoplifting we have seen in recent years.

We will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the party opposite.

And having listened closely to organisations like the British Retail Consortium and USDAW…

… I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organised gangs which target retailers…

… and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to help stop shoplifting in its tracks.

Finally, I am today providing funding to support public services and drive growth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Having discussed the matter with the First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, and my HFs for Llanelli and Pontypridd…

… I am providing a £25m to the Welsh Government next year for the maintenance of coal tips to ensure we keep our communities safe.

And to support growth, including in our rural areas, we will proceed with City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland…

… in Causeway Coast and Glens; and Mid-South West.

And we will drive growth in Scotland [redacted political content] including a City and growth Deal in Argyll and Bute.

This budget provides the devolved governments with the largest real-terms funding settlement since devolution…

… delivering an additional £3.4 billion for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula…

… funding which must now be spent effectively to improve public services in Scotland.

This budget also provides £1.7 billion to the Welsh Government…

… and £1.5 billion to the Northern Ireland Executive in 2025-26.

I said there would be no return to austerity, and that is the choice I have made today.

REBUILDING BRITAIN

Madam Deputy Speaker, to rebuild our country we need to increase investment.

The UK lags behind every other G7 country when it comes to business investment as a share of our economy.

That matters.

It means the UK has fallen behind in the race for new jobs…

… new industries…

… and new technology.

By restoring economic stability…

… and by establishing the National Wealth Fund to catalyse private funding…

… we have begun to create the conditions that businesses need to invest.

But there is also a significant role for public investment.

Hospitals without the equipment they need.

School buildings not fit for our children.

A desperate lack of affordable housing.

Economic growth held back at every turn.

Under the plans I inherited…

… public investment was set to fall from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP.

But in Washington last week, the International Monetary Fund were clear:

More public investment is badly needed in the UK.

So today, having listened to the case made by the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney…

… former Treasury Minister, Jim O’Neill…

… and the former Cabinet Secretary, Gus O’Donnell…

… among others…

… I am confirming our investment rule.

As set out in our manifesto, we will target debt falling as a share of the economy.

Debt will be defined as Public Sector net Financial Liabilities, or “net financial debt”, for short…

… a metric that has been measured by the Office for National Statistics since 2016…

… and forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility since that date too.

“Net financial debt” recognises that government investment delivers returns for taxpayers…

… by counting not just the liabilities on a government’s balance sheet, but the financial assets too.

This means that we count the benefits of investment, not just the costs…

And we free up our institutions to invest…

… just as they do in Germany, France and Japan.

Like our stability rule, our investment rule will apply in 2029-2030…

… until that becomes the third year of the forecast.

From that point onwards, net financial debt will fall in the third year of every forecast.

Today, the OBR say that we are already meeting our target two years early…

… with “net financial debt” falling by 2027-28…

… with £15.7bn of headroom in the final year.

So that we drive the right incentives in government investments…

… we will introduce four key guardrails to ensure capital spending is good value for money and drives growth in our economy.

First, our portfolio of new financial investments will be delivered by expert bodies like the National Wealth Fund which must, by default, earn a rate of return at least as large as that on gilts.

Second, we will strengthen the role of institutions to improve infrastructure delivery.

Third, we will improve certainty, setting capital budgets for five years and extending them at every spending review every two years.

Finally, we will ensure there is greater transparency for capital spending, with robust annual reporting of financial investments…

… based on accounts audited by the National Audit Office…

… and made available to the Office for Budget Responsibility at every forecast.

Taken together with our stability rule…

…these fiscal rules will ensure that our public finances are on a firm footing…

… while enabling us to invest prudently alongside business.

Growth projects

The capital plans I now set out…

… to drive growth across our country…

… and repair the fabric of our nation…

… are only possible because of our investment rule.

Let me set out those investment plans.

Industrial strategy

Today we are confirming our plans to capitalise the National Wealth Fund…

… to invest in the industries of the future…

… from gigafactories, to ports to green hydrogen.

Building on these investments, my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary is driving forward our modern industrial strategy…

… working with businesses and organisations like Make UK…

… to set out the sectors with the biggest growth potential.

Today, we are confirming multi-year funding commitments for these areas of our economy, including…

… nearly £1bn for the aerospace sector to fund vital research and development, building on our industry in the East Midlands, the South-West and Scotland…

… over £2 billion for the automotive sector…

… to support our electric vehicle industry and develop our manufacturing base…

… building on our strengths in the North East and the West Midlands…

And up to £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund.

For our world-leading creative industries…

… we will legislate to provide additional tax relief for visual effect costs in TV and film…

.. and we are providing £25m for the North East Combined Authority…

… which they plan to use to remediate the Crown Works Studio site in Sunderland…

… creating 8,000 new jobs.

Research & Development

To unlock these growth industries of the future, we will protect government investment in research and development with more than £20bn worth of funding.

This includes at least £6.1bn to protect core research funding for areas like engineering, biotechnology and medical science…

…through Research England, other research councils, and the National Academies.

We will extend the Innovation Accelerators programme in Glasgow, in Manchester and in the West Midlands.

And with over £500m of funding next year, my Right Honourable Friend the Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary, will continue to drive progress in improving reliable, fast broadband and mobile coverage across our country, including in rural areas.

Housing

We committed in our manifesto to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament…

… and my Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is driving that work forward across government.

Today, I am providing over £5bn of government investment to deliver our plans on housing next year.

We will increase the Affordable Homes Programme to £3.1bn…

… delivering thousands of new homes.

We will provide £3bn of support in guarantees…

… to boost the supply of homes and support our small housebuilders.

And we will provide investment to renovate sites across our country…

… including at Liverpool Central Docks…

… where we will deliver 2,000 new homes…

… and funding to help Cambridge realise its full growth potential.

Alongside this investment, we will put the right policies in place to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Having heard representations from local authorities, social housing providers and from Shelter…

… I can today confirm that the government will reduce Right to Buy Discounts…

… and local authorities will be able to retain the full receipts from any sales of social housing…

… to reinvest back into the housing stock, and into new supply..

… so that we give more people a safe, secure and affordable place to live.

We will provide stability to social housing providers, with a social housing rent settlement of CPI+1 percent for the next five years.

And we will deliver on our manifesto commitment to hire hundreds of new planning officers, to get Britain building again.

We will also make progress on our commitment to accelerate the remediation of homes following the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry…

… with £1bn of investment to remove dangerous cladding next year.

Transport

Working with my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary, I am changing that.

We are today securing the delivery of the Trans-Pennine upgrade to connect York, Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester…

… delivering fully electric local and regional services between Manchester and Stalybridge by the end of this year…

… with a further electrification of services between Church Fenton and York by 2026.…

… to help grow our economy across the North of England…

… with faster and more reliable services.

We will deliver East-West Rail to drive growth between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge…

… with the first services running between Oxford, Bletchley and Milton Keynes next year…

… and trains between Oxford and Bedford running from 2030.

We are delivering railway schemes which improve journeys for people across our country…

… including upgrades at Bradford Forster Square…

… improving capacity at Manchester Victoria…

… and electrifying the Wigan-Bolton line.

My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary has also set out a plan for how to get a grip of HS2.

Today, we are securing delivery of the project between Old Oak Common and Birmingham…

… and we are committing the funding required to begin tunnelling work to London Euston station…

… This will catalyse private investment into the local area.

I am also funding significant improvements to our roads network.

For too long, potholes have been an all too visible reminder of our failure to invest as a nation.

Today, that changes…

… with a £500m increase in road maintenance budgets next year…

… more than delivering on our manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes each year.

We will provide over £650m of local transport funding to improve connections across our country…

… in our towns like Crewe and Grimsby…

… and in our villages and rural areas, from Cornwall to Cumbria.

… we understand how important bus services are for our communities…

…so we will extend the cap for a further year, setting it at £3 until December 2025.

Finally we will deliver £1.3bn of funding to improve connectivity in our city regions, funding projects like…

… the Brierley Hill Metro extension in the West Midlands…

… the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram…

… and West Yorkshire Mass Transit, including in Bradford and Leeds.

Energy

Madam Deputy Speaker, to bring new jobs to Britain and drive growth across our country…

… we are delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, led by my Right Honourable Friend the Energy Secretary.

Earlier this month, we announced a significant multi-year investment between government and business into Carbon Capture and Storage…

… creating 4,000 jobs across Merseyside and Teesside.

Today, I am providing funding for 11 new green hydrogen projects across England, Scotland and Wales – they will be among the first commercial scale projects anywhere in the world…

… including in Bridgend, East Renfrewshire and in Barrow-in-Furness

We are kickstarting the Warm Homes Plan by confirming an initial £3.4bn over the next three years…

… to transform 350,000 homes…

… including a quarter of a million low-income and social homes.

And we will establish GB Energy…

… providing funding next year to set up GB Energy at its new home in Aberdeen.

Overall, we will invest an additional £100bn over the next five years in capital spending…

… only possible because of our investment rule.

The OBR say today that this will drive growth across our country in the next five years…

… and in the longer term increase GDP by up to 1.4%.

It will crowd in private investment…

… meaning more jobs, and more opportunities…

… in every corner of the UK.

That is the choice that I have made.

To invest in our country…

… and to grow our economy.

Today, I am setting out two final areas in which investment is so badly needed…

… to repair the fabric of our nation.

Schools

[redacted political content]

… schools roofs are crumbling….

… and millions of children are facing the very same backdrop as I did.

I will be the Chancellor that changes that.

So today, I am providing £6.7bn of capital investment to the Department for Education next year…

… a 19% real-terms increase on this year.

That includes £1.4bn to rebuild over 500 schools in the greatest need…

… including St Helen’s Primary School in Hartlepool, and Mercia Academy in Derby…

… and so many more across our country.

And we will provide a further £2.1bn to improve school maintenance, £300m more than this year…

… ensuring that all our children can learn somewhere safe…

… including dealing with RAAC affected schools in the constituencies of my HFs the members for Watford, Stourbridge, Hyndburn, and beyond.

Alongside investment in new teachers…

… and funding for thousands of new breakfast clubs…

… this government is giving our children and young people the opportunities that they deserve.

NHS

Madam Deputy Speaker, I come to our most cherished public service of all: our NHS.

[redacted political content]

In our first week in office, he commissioned an independent report into the state of our health service by Lord Darzi.

Its conclusions were damning.

While our NHS staff do a remarkable job, and we thank them for it…

… it is clear that, that in so many areas…

… we are moving in the wrong direction.

100,000 infants waited over 6 hours in A&E last year.

350,000 people are waiting a year for mental health support.

Cancer deaths here are higher than in other countries.

It is simply unforgiveable.

In the Spring, we will publish a 10 year plan for the NHS…

… to deliver a shift from hospital to community…

… from analogue to digital…

… and from sickness to prevention.

Today, we are announcing a downpayment on that plan…

… to enable the NHS to deliver 2% productivity growth next year.

These reforms are vital.

But we should be honest.

The state of the NHS we inherited…

… after – and I quote Lord Darzi – “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded” –

… means reform must come alongside investment.

So today…

… because of the difficult decision that I have taken on tax, welfare and spending…

… I can announce…

… that I am providing a £22.6bn increase in the day to-day health budget…

… and a £3.1bn increase in the capital budget…

… over this year and next year.

This is the largest real-terms growth in day to day NHS spending outside of Covid since 2010.

Let me set out what this funding is delivering.

Many NHS buildings have been left in a state of disrepair.

So we will provide £1 billion of health capital investment next year to address the backlog of repairs and upgrades across the NHS.

To increase capacity for tens of thousands more procedures next year…

… we will provide a further £1.5bn…

… for new beds in hospitals across the country…

… new capacity for over a million additional diagnostic tests…

… and new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres …

… so that those people waiting for their treatment can get it as quickly as possible.

My Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will be announcing the details of his review into the New Hospital Programme in the coming weeks…

… and publishing in the new year…

… but I can tell the House today…

… that work will continue at pace to deliver those seven hospitals affected including…

… West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds…

… and Leighton Hospital in Crewe.

And finally…

… because of this record injection of funding…

… because of the thousands of additional beds that we have secured…

… and because of the reforms that we are delivering in our NHS…

… we can now begin to bring waiting lists down more quickly…

… and move towards our target for waiting times no longer than 18 weeks…

… by delivering our manifesto commitment for 40,000 extra hospital appointments a week.

[redacted political content]

CLOSING

Madam Deputy Speaker, the choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country.

To restore stability to our public finances.

To protect working people.

To fix our NHS.

And to rebuild Britain.

That doesn’t mean these choices are easy.

But they are responsible.

[redacted political content]

This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.

I have made my choices.

The responsible choices.

To restore stability to our country.

To protect working people.

More teachers in our schools.

More appointments in our NHS.

More homes being built.

Fixing the foundations of our economy.

Investing in our future.

Delivering change.

Rebuilding Britain.

We on these benches commend those choices…

… and I commend this Statement to the House.

Updates to this page

Published 30 October 2024

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Nine in a row for Aberdeen

Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

Aberdeen City Council’s catering team is celebrating after it was awarded its Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification for the ninth time by adding more local and climate-friendly peas to the school menu.

The Council, which first received the award for its primary school meals in 2015, and for secondary schools in 2017, now serves more than 13,500 nutritious, sustainable and locally-sourced Food for Life meals across 61 sites every day.

This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of the council’s school catering team, as well as the commitment to scratch cooking and local sourcing. These values are on display through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, a collaboration between Soil Association Scotland and Aberdeen City Council to get locally-grown organic dried split peas into school meals.

Councillor Martin Greig, the Convener of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, Aberdeen City Council, said: “Good quality food is an important way to nourish and support young people’s health and wellbeing. School meals should be nutritious and contain as much fresh, local and sustainable food as possible. It is testament to the ongoing commitment and hard work of our catering and procurement teams that the Council has received the Food for Life Served Here Bronze award for the ninth year. It is a great achievement and congratulations to everyone involved.

“Being part of the Give Peas a Chance pilot programme has enabled us to bring more local, organic produce into the menu. This is great for our young people, the local economy and the environment. It has also given catering staff an opportunity to develop new recipes and menus.”

The 12-month Give Peas a Chance pilot project is opening up a new route to market for this local, organic, nutritious and climate friendly plant protein, allowing pupils to access healthy and sustainable food. It is a partnership between Soil Association Scotland, Aberdeen City Council catering and procurement teams, pea producer Phil Swire of Balmakewan Farm, the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI).

Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Food for Life Scotland, said: “Aberdeen City Council’s ninth year of the Food for Life Served Here award is a huge achievement. It shows that staff are dedicated to providing pupils with a meal that’s healthy, freshly prepared and sustainably produced. We’re proud to be working in partnership with the council to deliver even more good food to Aberdeen City pupils through the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project, which is a fantastic example of how public procurement can have a positive impact on our food systems. Congratulations to all involved.”

With an updated menu launched after the October break, pupils can now enjoy pea-based recipes that are part of the council’s new school meals menu, including lemon and pea risotto, sweet potato and pea curry, split pea meatballs with bolognaise sauce, and even a pea-based muffin and cookie.

The council’s school meals service is certified by the widely respected and independently assessed scheme led by Soil Association Scotland and funded by Scottish Government. The Food for Life Scotland programme provides a framework through which local authorities can ensure they are serving food that’s good for health, the environment and the economy. This is done by following a set of standards to achieve the Food for Life Served Here award at Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

The Bronze award recognises that a minimum of 75 percent of dishes are freshly prepared from unprocessed ingredients. Meals are also free from undesirable trans fats, sweeteners, additives and all genetically modified ingredients. Catering teams also use free range eggs, higher welfare meat and ingredients from sustainable and ethical sources.

Photo caption: Councillor Martin Greig receives the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award certificate from Food for Life Scotland’s Partnerships Manager Sarah Gowanlock, at a celebration with the Council’s schools catering team at Culter School.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Researcher Melissa Gish Bridges Chemistry and Physics To Improve Solar Energy Technologies

Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Researchers Bryon Larson, Melissa Gish, Ross Larsen, and Reilly Seban (left to right) are collecting and analyzing data on organic solar cells in the NREL Energy Systems Integration Facility’s Insight Center. Their research is part of a large-scale effort to quantify organic photovoltaics for incorporation into machine learning tools. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

Melissa Gish approaches physics and chemistry problems like puzzles: Control this or that variable, and work out how the jigsaw pieces fit together.

“I didn’t really like biology because I felt like there were too many variables to adequately control,” said Gish, a chemistry researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The journal Trends in Chemistry recently honored Gish in a special issue designed to highlight emerging leaders in chemistry who are innovating in their respective fields, as well as to celebrate Trends in Chemistry’s fifth anniversary and Cell Press’ 50^th anniversary.

That inclination toward controlling variables to chart a path to discovery led her from high school biology experiments on the breeding behavior of mosquitoes to majoring in chemistry in college. In her senior year, Gish studied quantum mechanics and worked in a physical chemistry lab—and that work led her to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental physical chemistry.

“The intersection of physics and chemistry just made sense to me in a way that other disciplines hadn’t,” she said. “It just clicked.”

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Gish immediately started working in ultrafast spectroscopy, where pulsed lasers are used to study ultrafast events after a system absorbs light—within solar energy research—and her renewable energy research interests then led her to NREL, first as a postdoctoral researcher and now as a chemistry researcher.

“NREL has world-class fundamental research and amazing physical chemists,” she said, “so I could continue working with ultrafast spectroscopy and solar energy research.”

Leading on Transient Spectroscopy

Gish began her work in transient spectroscopy—studying the properties of short-lived excited states of molecules and materials—at UNC and continues that work at NREL.

“We were studying dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells, which involved the absorption of light to kick off an electron transfer cascade that would lead to catalysis to generate solar fuels,” she said. “These systems often had two-to-three-plus components, each with its own photophysics that needed to be parsed out with careful control experiments. These problems are puzzles—each puzzle is unique and fun to solve, with the added bonus of working toward new renewable energy technologies.”

At NREL, Gish has become a leader in using transient spectroscopy to study pathways to more efficient solar cells and solar energy production and uncovering the photophysics of complicated molecular and materials systems, often connecting that information to photochemical reactions. Her work spans much of the periodic table, from organic molecules and polymers to transition and rare earth metal-organic complexes to silicon nanoparticles to semiconductor materials and more. Gish’s recent investigations extend across the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences research portfolio at NREL and have targeted the short excited-state lifetimes of conjugated polymers, tuning of singlet fission at mesoporous interfaces, and development of a strategy to differentiate rare earth elements.

Gish is presently interested in connecting ultrafast photophysics on the very small scale—femtoseconds, picoseconds, and nanoseconds—to photochemical transformations on the seconds-to-hours time scale.

“Understanding the initial processes after light absorption that may affect the photochemistry or photocatalysis that happens many decades later can help us design better systems for solar energy harvesting or light-induced separations,” Gish said. “I’ve been working on in situ methods to spectroscopically determine intermediates and products on longer time scales to connect the ultrafast experiments.”

As she looks to the immediate future in her research, Gish is thinking about the photophysics of product selectivity in photocatalysis, in which solar energy is converted to chemical energy.

“To make usable, storable solar fuels, we need to be able to generate the product that we want—for example, methanol—and there’s a lot we don’t understand about how to drive solar fuel production and photocatalysis to the final product of our choosing,” she said.

Gish’s work extends to safety in the lab. She is a technical and safety leader for laser-based spectroscopy at NREL, stewarding several ultrafast laser systems and mentoring users of all experience levels in best safety practices for alignment, designing experiments, and operating systems to obtain high-quality data and rigorous data analysis. She has also played an integral part in NREL’s Laser Safety Panel, helping improve the laser operator qualification process and defining the laser system supervisor’s roles and responsibilities.

Kyle Crabb, Rob Hammond, and Melissa Gish (left to right) pose for a photo in front of the Pride flag at NREL’s South Table Mountain Campus in 2023 after the second annual Full Spectrum Network-organized Pride flag raising at NREL. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

Supporting and Mentoring Others

Good leaders give back to their communities, and Gish gives back through mentorship and building community.

At NREL, Gish cofounded two employee resource groups for NREL staff: the Full Spectrum Network (LGBTQIA+ employees and allies) and the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network.

“My involvement in Full Spectrum and, in particular, my role in starting Pride Month events at NREL means a lot to me,” Gish said. “What I’m most proud of is how the group has continued as I and the initial steering committee passed the torch to the current leadership. Running an employee resource group is a lot of work and requires a lot of dedication and passion, and it’s amazing to see how each iteration of Full Spectrum continues our initial traditions and builds on them. For example, the annual Pride flag raising at the South Table Mountain Campus is something that started after my time and was extended to the Flatirons Campus this year.”

Full Spectrum has helped bring together the LGBTQIA+ community at NREL and helped them feel seen and embraced.

“I think it’s important for NREL to show LGBTQIA+ staff that our contributions are recognized and celebrated, which is a legacy I am proud of,” Gish said. “I have had new employees reach out to me and say that our work in Full Spectrum and the visibility it has provided to LGBTQIA+ staff has influenced their decision to come work at NREL because of the safe space that has been created.”

Gish is also proud of her work with the Postdoc and Graduate Student Network, where she mentors early-career researchers from undergraduate and graduate students to postdoctoral researchers.

“Postdocs and students are in a unique position where they are actively looking for their next job while producing high-quality scientific research and learning the advanced techniques we have here at NREL,” she said. “We wanted the network to provide professional development opportunities, soft-skills workshops, and networking opportunities to alleviate some of that stress that these early-career folks feel. I have also had opportunities to mentor postdocs, grad students, and undergrads as a staff scientist.

“I really enjoy watching students and postdocs grow and become confident scientists,” Gish continued. “As the NREL principal investigator of a Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) project in collaboration with Metropolitan State University of Denver, I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring undergraduate students with limited lab experience who are motivated and passionate about learning spectroscopy as well as what it is like to be a scientist and explore this career as an option.”

Gish’s RENEW project focuses on understanding spin dynamics of first row transition metal photosensitizers.

She is continuing her career trajectory by actively solving chemistry puzzles—developing spectroscopic capabilities to answer new questions about next-generation solar energy technologies—and building her portfolio as a principal investigator while mentoring and serving her community.

“Melissa has developed quickly into a key team member of several of our DOE Office of Science Basic Energy Sciences projects and was recently successful as an NREL principal investigator on a RENEW project focused on harnessing spin physics to drive photochemical reactions,” said NREL’s Andrew Ferguson, spectroscopy and photoscience group manager. “I have been particularly impressed by her resilience, exemplified by her response to the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic on her postdoctoral work; her vision to develop the spectroscopic tools to connect ultrafast photophysical processes to much slower photochemical reactivity; and her commitment to effective training and mentoring of early-career researchers. She is certainly worthy of recognition as an emerging leader in chemistry, and I am excited to see where her career goes from here.”

Learn more about Melissa Gish’s research and NREL’s solar energy research.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NIH-funded scientists uncover clues to precancer and tumor biology

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2

Media Advisory

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

A collection of new papers highlight discoveries from the Human Tumor Atlas Network, a Cancer Moonshot℠ initiative.

What

New insights from multiple studies provide critical information on how cancer tumors develop, spread, and respond to treatments. The 10 studies from the Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN), a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Cancer Moonshot^℠ initiative to construct three-dimensional maps of human tumors, will be published Oct. 31, 2024, across several Nature journals.

Several studies explore the role of the tumor microenvironment and the immune system in promoting the spread of cancer and its resistance to treatment. Three studies map the trajectory of precancerous colorectal tissues toward cancer by measuring the contributions of multiple molecular and cellular events. Multiple new HTAN papers describe the development of innovative single-cell technology and analysis platforms. An accompanying research briefing by W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Dinah Singer, Ph.D., NCI deputy director for scientific strategy and development, discusses the history, progress, and future of HTAN.

Launched in 2018, HTAN constructs three-dimensional maps of human tumors that capture their molecular features and surrounding microenvironments over time. The work is being done by teams of investigators from research institutions across the country using a variety of technologies and computational approaches to study tumors at the single-cell level. This comprehensive, publicly available resource aims to help researchers better understand the development and progression of cancer to inform its prevention and treatment. The first tumor atlas studies from this initiative were published in 2020 and 2021.

Who

Shannon Hughes, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Biology, NCI; Sean Hanlon, Ph.D., Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives, NCI; Sudhir Srivastava, Ph.D., M.P.H., Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI

The Studies

The collection page is available at https://www.nature.com/collections/fihchcjehc.

About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH’s efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI’s contact center, the Cancer Information Service, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health^®

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Announces Applications Now Open for Grants To Support Youth-Led Service Initiatives

Source: US State of Connecticut

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, also known as Serve Connecticut, is now accepting applications for mini-grants to support youth-led service initiatives in Connecticut.

These mini-grants are available to support the engagement of youths between the ages of 5 and 25 in meaningful, youth-led service or service-learning projects or programs benefitting the community during the grant term of January 1 to September 30, 2025. Eligible applicants include schools, out-of-school time programs (after school or summer), municipalities, agencies, and youth-serving organizations. Youth-led groups are welcome to apply with sponsorship of an eligible applicant.

“This is a great opportunity for youth voice and youth action to make a difference in our state through service,” Governor Lamont said. “Getting more of our youth to the table to take an active part in community problem-solving builds better communities.”

This funding opportunity is made available by a grant from the Allstate Foundation in partnership with America’s Service Commissions. Serve Connecticut is one of ten state and territorial service commissions that received a 2024 Empowering Youth-Led Service Grant to increase youth-led service opportunities in the state.

“Serve Connecticut is committed to encouraging youth to lead through service – to impact their communities and to empower their own growth,” Timothy D. Larson, commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education and a board member of the Service Connecticut, said. “We are grateful to the Allstate Foundation for providing this resource to our state’s youth.”

To qualify for a mini-grant, proposed youth-led service initiatives may be new or existing, must prioritize engaging youth that are underrepresented in youth service in Connecticut, and must actively engage youth in the development and implementation of the proposed service project or initiative. Mini-grant funding requests of up to $8,000 will be considered. Funding may be used to support youth-led service project development and implementation costs, and to remove barriers to youth participation in youth-led service projects and programs.

To apply, visit servect.org/youth-service-funding-opportunities. Applications must be submitted by December 2, 2024. Questions about the application process can be directed to Kate Scheuritzel, Serve Connecticut’s director of programs, via email at Kate.Scheuritzel@ct.gov.

Serve Connecticut is a program of the Connecticut Office of Higher Education. It administers AmeriCorps grants on behalf of the state and promotes service and volunteerism.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Announces Appointments to the White House Offices of Communications, Public Liaison, and Cabinet Affairs

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
President Trump announced key appointments to the White House Office of Communications, Public Liaison, and Cabinet Affairs, which will be overseen by Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Public Liaison, and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich.
COMMUNICATIONS
President Trump previously announced the appointments of Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung and Assistant to the President and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Today’s announcements include: Alex Pfeiffer will join the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Communications Director after previously serving as a Communications Adviser for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign and Communications Director for MAGA Inc. Pfeiffer previously served as an Investigative and Editorial Producer for Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight. Kaelan Dorr will return to the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director after serving as Senior Strategist and Spokesperson for MAGA Inc. Dorr previously served as Senior Advisor for Public Affairs at the Department of Treasury, Congressional Communications Director and Strategic Communications Advisor in the Executive Office of the President in the Trump Administration, Global Head of Marketing and Engagement for GETTR, Vice President of Communications for America First Policy Institute, and Chief Marketing Officer for Donald J. Trump for President. Harrison Fields will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary, having previously served as Assistant Press Secretary in the Trump Administration. Fields has also served as Senior Advisor to Congressman Byron Donalds and Assistant Director of Media and Public Relations at The Heritage Foundation. Anna Kelly will join the White House as a Deputy Press Secretary after serving as National Press Secretary for the Republican National Committee. Previously, Kelly was Communications Director for Congressman Derrick Van Orden, Michels for Governor, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Kush Desai will serve as a Deputy Press Secretary after serving as Deputy Battleground States & Pennsylvania Communications Director at the Republican National Committee. Desai also served as Deputy Communications Director for the 2024 Republican National Convention and Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa. Ian Kelley will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and War Room Director after serving as War Room Director for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Previously, Ian worked as Rapid Response Manager for the social media platform GETTR. Dylan Johnson will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Communications Director for Special Projects after serving as a Deputy Director of Communications for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Johnson previously served as the Campaign Manager for the Greitens for U.S. Senate campaign and was an Executive Producer for Just The News. Sonny Joy Nelson will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Media Affairs Director, after serving as Director of Media Affairs and Surrogates for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign. Previously, Nelson served as Director of Media Affairs for the social media platform GETTR, Booking Producer for Real America’s Voice, Director of Media Affairs for the Republican National Committee, and Associate Director of Strategic Communications for Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Dan Boyle will join the White House as the White House Director of Research after serving as a Research Consultant on the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign, and previously as Director of Research for MAGA Inc. Boyle previously served as the Research Director for Citizens United and as a Research Analyst for the Government Accountability Institute. Johanna Persing will join the White House as Cabinet Communications Director after playing an integral role in the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign’s surrogate operation, including leading the media booking operation at the 2024 Republican Convention in Milwaukee. Persing previously served as the Deputy Communications Director for the Republican National Committee and as Communications Director for Congressman Ryan Costello. Charyssa Parent will join the White House as Congressional Communications Director after serving as the Communications Director for Senator Roger Marshall. Parent previously served as the Deputy Director of Communications for the House Republican Conference and as the Director of Broadcast Media for the Republican National Committee. Jacki Kotkiewicz will join the White House as Policy Communications Director after working as a Vice President at Argus Insight. Kotkiewicz previously served as the Director of Policy Research at the Republican National Committee and was a Research Analyst on the Trump 2020 campaign. Jake Schneider will join the White House as Rapid Response Director after serving as Rapid Response Director for the Trump-Vance Campaign. Schneider previously served as the Deputy Director of Rapid Response for the 2020 Trump campaign and as Communications Director and Press Secretary for Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach.
OFFICE OF PUBLIC LIAISON Jim Goyer will return to the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison. Goyer served President Donald J. Trump in his first Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison. Goyer previously served as Political Coordinator at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Goyer is joining from Goldman Sachs, where he served as an Associate of Asset and Wealth Management.
Lynne Patton will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Minority Outreach, where she will be charged with ensuring that President Trump continues to build upon his historic Election Day support from Blacks, Latinos and Women. Patton served as Senior Advisor on the Trump Campaign and has been one of the Trump family’s longest serving and most trusted aides. Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Patton was the Regional Administrator for Federal Region II at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Senior Advisor to Secretary Ben Carson. At HUD, Lynne worked tirelessly to bring accountability, reform and results to some of the most challenging housing issues facing our country. From championing the rights of underserved communities to exposing corruption and mismanagement within public housing systems, Lynne consistently fought for fairness and opportunity, earning her the bipartisan respect of industry peers and local elected officials alike. Lynne’s deep connection to the issues affecting minority communities combined with her remarkable interpersonal skills, makes her the ideal person to lead this critical outreach effort. She holds a B.S. from the University of Miami and attended Quinnipiac University, School of Law. Brette Powell will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served for three years in the White House Management Office and the Advance Office in the Trump Administration. Powell previously served the President for four years through his Save America PAC and the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign as the Director of Strategic Political Stakeholder Engagement. Hailey Borden will return to the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Business Outreach in the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served as Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison in the Trump Administration. Borden previously was Director of Coalitions and Member Services on the House Committee on Small Business and is currently the Director of Business Coalitions for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Alex Flemister will return to the White House as Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Public Liaison, having previously served as Associate Director in the Office of Public Liaison in the Trump Administration. Flemister previously worked for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders on her campaign as Advisor and Director of Operations and worked in her official governor’s office as the Director of Office Appointments. Flemister is currently the Founder and President of The Flemister Group. CABINET AFFAIRS Lea Bardon will join the White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Director of Cabinet Affairs. Bardon previously served as Director of Development Operations at the America First Policy Institute. Bardon also served on President Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020 and as Executive Roundtable Manager at the Republican Attorneys General Association. Thomas Bradbury will join the White House as Associate Director for Policy. Bradbury is currently the Director of Advocacy and Policy at American Conservative Union (CPAC). Cami Connor will return to the White House as Associate Director for Agency Outreach, having previously served as Associate Director of Agency Outreach in the first Trump Administration. Connor currently serves on the Government Operations team at The Boeing Company.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: A study in tropical disease prevention for this Navy Medicine physician

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

In the bitter fighting that raged across the jungle island of Guadalcanal during World War II, more Marines were lost to disease – malaria, dengue fever, dysentery – than enemy bullets.

Lt. Cmdr. Lauren Kalodner, MD, MPH, is doing her best to ensure such a casualty count won’t happen again.

Kalodner, a Rose Valley, Pennsylvania native, was part of a Uniformed Service University educational assignment to the equatorial West Africa nation of Ghana for two weeks of in-depth field work. The Military Tropical Medicine field mission provided an ideal natural environment for increasing her knowledge to confront and prevent endemic, infectious diseases prevalent in a tropical setting.

“Participating on a field mission in Ghana is crucial for the understanding of tropical diseases because it allows for direct observation of the conditions that facilitate their spread. Local ecosystems, climate, animal and human behaviors plays a significant role in disease transmission. Immersing in the community helps healthcare workers understand cultural practices, health beliefs, and the social determinants of health that influence disease prevalence and management. The firsthand experience is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies tailored to the context from which the disease arises,” said Kalodner, stationed with 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, as an emergency medicine physician.

Kalodner and others went to Accra, capital and largest city of Ghana, as well as Kumasi, the second largest city. They received instruction on how to recognize, diagnose and treat disease agents, understand mitigation strategies to help control and limit disease transmission, identify transmission modes, and understand the overlapping connection of the natural and animal environments and human disease.

Being able to help stop the spread of infectious tropical diseases which continue to cause untold casualties as well as fatalities – there were 608,000 malaria deaths in 2022 alone estimated by the World Health Organization – is significant in the light of Rear Adm. Darin Via, Navy Surgeon General and chief, BUMED recently affirming that Navy Medicine’s focus is readiness, especially with expeditionary medicine capabilities. Those capabilities call for a ready medical force ensuring there is a medically ready force.

Kalodner noted that there were several key lessons which emerged relevant to Navy Medicine’s expeditionary medicine emphasis, such as “Adaptability, the ability to quickly adjust to vary environments and resource limitations is crucial for effective medical care in the field,” she explained.

Other valuable insight gained included being culturally knowledgeable by “understanding local customs and health practices enhances trust and improves patient outcomes to function as part of a multi-national medical force. Collaboration [with] working closely with a diverse healthcare team is essential for a successful mission. Preventive care emphasizes education and preventive measures which can significantly reduce the burden of tropical diseases. Logistics management for effective planning for supply chain challenges is vital for maintaining readiness and ensuring the medical teams can operative efficiently in remote areas,” stressed Kalodner.

“These lessons enhance the Navy’s expeditionary medicine capabilities and promote a more holistic and integrated approach to healthcare in diverse environments,” continued Kalodner, adding that the training proved to be invaluable. “Unmatched. This is the best training opportunity offered to prepare military healthcare workers to prepare for tropical disease and DNBI [disease and non-battle injury].”

Her interest in Navy Medicine was fostered by the opportunity to combine her passion for healthcare with a commitment to put service before self. After completing Strath Haven High School in 2003, Kalodner graduated from Davidson College in 2007, followed by George Washington University Milken School of Public Health in 2012 and the Uniformed Services University, F Edward Herbet School of Medicine in 2018. She then completed her four-year residency in emergency medicine at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in 2022.

“The chance to work in diverse environments, address unique medical challenges, and contribute to global health initiative was particularly appealing,” Kalodner said. “The emphasis that Navy Medicine puts on teamwork and the ability to make a tangible difference in the lives of service members and communities inspired my decision to join the Navy.”

Fast forward to the summer of 2024. When the prospect of traveling to Ghana for the Military Tropical Medicine mission became known, it was easy for Kalodner to make the commitment.

“While I was studying at Davidson College, I started taking French classes. I knew I wanted to study abroad in a unique place where I could grow my French language skills and experience a new culture,” she related. “I selected to go to Dakar, Senegal, where I studied and lived for eight months of my sophomore year of college. I loved the people and culture of West Africa. I thought doing my tropical medicine field mission in Ghana would be a great way to experience new cultures within West Africa while also furthering my knowledge of tropical medicine and international medicine.”

Before being immersed in the field, Kalodner and other students had four-weeks of virtual instruction to help prep their knowledge.

“The knowledge of disease processes and skills earned through hard work and study during the classroom allowed you to become an active participant in patient care,” said Kalodner. “The field experience helps solidify the classroom lessons through patient interaction.”

From coastal rainforest to rural village, the itinerary of Kalodner and others had them conducting water and environmental sampling and field collecting of mosquito and tick vectors. They met with Ghanian Armed Forces 37 Military Hospital physicians and medical residents to discuss treating patients with diverse illnesses from cerebral malaria to tuberculosis, as well as reviewing parasitology and microscopy of infectious diseases at the Ghana Entomology Center of Excellence. There was valued time also spent with the Ghana Military Police National Dog Academy to learn about dealing with canine-related disease transmission(s) and veterinarian services in their country.

Kalodner and others worked with Navy Medical Research Unit 3 Accra staff and U.S. embassy. They met with representatives from a host of organizations including U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Peace Corps and U.S. Agency for International Development to learn about interagency cooperation and partnership as it relates to global health engagement.

There were challenges, which provided an instructive framework for future planning and problem solving.

“I think the elegant part of this experience was that many of the challenges I faced during my field mission in Ghana are similar to those I will face in a deployed environment. One of the biggest challenges was limited access to resources, including medical supplies and equipment. There were logistical issues, such as patient transportation difficulties and infrastructure limitations that hinder the delivery of healthcare. Additionally, navigating cultural differences and ensuring effective communication are barriers to overcome,” exclaimed Kalodner.

Yet there was fulfillment in encountering and coping with the trials.

“The most gratifying aspect was seeing the direct impact our work had on the local community and knowing that the knowledge, skill, and abilities I learned from my time in the field could have the same direct impact on American servicemembers and allies in future combats zones,” stated Kalodner.

When asked to sum up her experience Navy Medicine – which also includes having her conduct clinical sustainment shifts at NMC Portsmouth – in one sentence, Kalodner replied, “My experience with Navy Medicine has been a profound journey of service, learning, and collaboration, dedicated to enhancing health outcomes in diverse and challenging environments.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Labour’s first budget plugs £40 billion spending gap – experts react

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Linda Yueh, Fellow in Economics/Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

For the first time in 14 years, it was a Labour chancellor who delivered the UK budget. And for the first time ever, that chancellor was a woman. But Rachel Reeves faces an almighty task: plugging a £40 billion spending gap in the knowledge that pre-election promises not to raise the main taxes are still fresh in people’s memories.

Growth was the buzzword of the election campaign – Reeves now had to lay her cards on the table. So here’s what our panel of experts made of the plans:

More challenges for employers and small businesses

Shampa Roy-Mukherjee, Associate Professor in Economics, University of East London

The budget introduces £40 billion in tax hikes and, in some areas, spending cuts that will put pressure on the economy and business in particular. But it also reflects the government’s focus on economic growth, with policies intended to stabilise finances while addressing some of the concerns of small businesses.

The chancellor has retained her commitment to preserve the rates of income tax, employee national insurance and VAT. But a notable change is the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15%.

There was also a reduction in the secondary threshold, which is the amount at which the employer starts paying NI on each employee, from £9,100 to £5,000. Altogether this will raise £25 billion annually but will significantly impact many businesses that will now face higher wage bills.

The national living wage is also rising by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour in April 2025, boosting incomes for about three million workers but again increasing costs for many businesses. These rising taxes and wage increases, alongside incoming employment regulations, will strain businesses, particularly in sectors with high labour demands.

To offset some of these pressures, the employment allowance, which allows some smaller employers to reduce their NICs, has been raised from £5,000 to £10,500. The chancellor said that over 1 million employers will not see their NICs bill rise as a result.

Small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure, where profits have been hit as consumers struggle with the cost of living, will benefit from a 40% business rate relief on properties up to £110,000. Other supportive measures include a continued freeze on fuel duty, which will aid logistics and transport costs. Corporation tax remains fixed at 25%.

A downpayment on growth – but probably not quickly

Linda Yueh, Adjunct Professor of Economics, University of Oxford

The chancellor declared that the government will “invest, invest, invest”. This is an important enabler of economic growth.

But, the country’s creditors need reassuring, so Reeves also announced two new fiscal rules that aim to achieve that balance of allowing the government to borrow to invest (and generate growth), but not to pay for day-to-day spending.

Specifically, the investment rule permits borrowing to invest and the stability rule requires day-to-day spending to be paid for by taxes. Both rules support the government’s growth aims while trying to reassure the country’s creditors that the borrowing will pay off by generating future growth – and also higher tax receipts with which to repay that borrowing.

But spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has downgraded the UK’s GDP growth outlook from 2% to 1.8% in 2026, and to 1.5% in 2027 and 2028. The OBR’s forecast of slower growth highlights the impact of the £40 billion of tax increases, which dampens economic activity.

This underscores the government’s challenge of investing to grow while at the same having to raise taxes to balance the books when it comes to its daily spending. In particular, the OBR’s assessment of slowing growth towards the middle of this parliament raises questions about how long it will take for the investment-fuelled growth to materialise.

It may be that five years is still too short a period. Many physical investments require planning and those reforms could also take a while. Moreover, getting investment projects under way requires scoping, and private investors will want time to assess before joining the government in energy projects.

But this budget is certainly a start on a much-needed growth strategy.

Good news on public investment – emerging industries could benefit

Phil Tomlinson, Professor of Industrial Strategy, University of Bath

The key budget change related to the chancellor’s fiscal rules. By redefining how public debt is calculated, Reeves has been able to increase public investment by around £100 billion. The new fiscal rules have gone not as far as some economists have advocated – but they are a welcome step in the right direction.

Investment was the core focus of the budget. For decades, the UK has suffered from low investment and weak productivity compared to other leading economies. Since 1990, the UK’s investment gap with the average across rich countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been around £35 billion a year – the UK now ranks 28th of 31 OECD countries on business investment. British workers are using outdated kit and so are less productive. This has meant a stagnant economy and lower living standards.

So, the budget’s plans to boost investment in the UK’s crumbling infrastructure and public services and to support the new industrial strategy are a positive move. The latter should see additional funding to support emerging tech industries, such as artificial intelligence, cyber and clean energy. And this public investment should “crowd in” additional private investment.

Clean energy boost?
StudioFI/Shutterstock

In the long run, these investments should pay for themselves. For instance, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that a sustained increase in public investment of 1% of GDP increases that GDP by 0.5% after five years and more than 2% after ten to 15 years.

The rise in employer national insurance contributions will increase business’s operating costs, especially those in the care and hospitality sectors. But paradoxically, in the long run, it may encourage some businesses (in sectors where it is feasible) to invest in new labour-saving capital equipment.

Read more:
Rachel Reeves is the UK’s first female chancellor. Here’s why that’s so significant

More reaction to be published soon.

Karen Bloor receives funding from the NIHR policy research programme to conduct responsive analysis for the Department of Health and Social Care,

Phil Tomlinson receives funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation.

Rachel Scarfe is a member of the Labour Party.

Jonquil Lowe, Linda Yueh, and Shampa Roy-Mukherjee do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Labour’s first budget plugs £40 billion spending gap – experts react – https://theconversation.com/labours-first-budget-plugs-40-billion-spending-gap-experts-react-242509

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Empowering Our Workforce in Cyberspace

Source: United States Navy

1. We Are All Cyber Warriors. It is essential to recognize that every individual in the Navy is a “Cyber Warrior.” Whether you’re on the front lines or managing daily tasks, your actions online directly impact our cyber security. You are the first line of defense. By performing basic cyber hygiene, you can prevent 98% of attacks.

· Take your annual Cyber Awareness Challenge to remind you of how to mitigate some of the vulnerabilities.

· Keep your apps, web browsers, operating systems and firmware up to date by ensuring the latest patches are installed; reboot your personal computer when it is required.

· Always use strong passwords that avoid the obvious (e.g., sequential numbers or DOB), keep passwords secure and change them regularly.

· Do not open suspicious emails or click on links of which you are unsure or unfamiliar.

· Avoid quizzes, games or surveys on social media that ask for sensitive personal information.

2. Cyber Workforce Members. Cybersecurity Awareness Month also serves as a reminder for cyber workforce (CWF) members to understand the importance of maintaining robust operational defenses. The transition to the new DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework and the DoD 8140 Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program series supports staying ahead of cyber adversaries and fortifying Navy networks. It focuses on:

· Role-Specific Qualifications Through Training Alignment: The 8140 Framework ensures operators have specialized training tailored to their specific work roles and responsibilities, leading to enhanced role clarity and accountability.

· Ongoing Professional Development Through Continuous Learning: CWF members must regularly update their proficiencies to assist them in foreseeing emerging cyber threats.

· Operational Preparedness Through Skills Matching: Aligning personnel skills with operational needs enhances readiness and facilitates quicker, more effective responses to cyber incidents.

3. Navy Leadership: Strategic Focus for 2024. The transition to the DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework and the DoD 8140 series empowers Navy leadership to strengthen our most critical cyber defense: the Sailors and civilians that make up our workforce.

· Creating a Strategic Workforce Development through Talent Management: The 8140 Framework allows senior leaders to focus on building a top-tier cyber workforce, ensuring the right talent is in place for complex missions.

· Identifying and Mitigating Gaps: Leaders can use the 8140 Framework to pinpoint and mitigate workforce gaps, ensuring teams are equipped to handle evolving threats.

· Prioritizing a Culture of Learning: The emphasis on continuous certification and learning fosters a culture of ongoing improvement within the cyber workforce. Cyber readiness is an ongoing priority that we leadership can pursue every day by ensuring their workforce has the tools and trainings they need to position the Navy for success.

Overall, implementation of the DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework will be pivotal to the Navy’s cybersecurity success. It equips:

· Sailors and civilians with the necessary skills to defend Navy data and networks.

· CWF Members with aligned training to address advanced threats.

· Senior leaders with a framework for workforce development and resilience.

This month, we celebrate every individual’s role in cyber defense and highlight how our cyber workforce transition enhances our collective readiness. For further information or to get involved, contact your Information Systems Security Manager or Cyber Workforce Program Manager.

#CyberWarriors #NavyCyberDefense

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Visits ABCD Head Start in Jamaica Plain, Highlights Threat of Project 2025 to Early Education

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

During National Book Month, Pressley Toured ABCD and Read to Head Start Children

Project 2025 Would Eliminate Head Start and Deny 11,000 Massachusetts Children Childcare Access and Other Services

Photos (Dropbox)

BOSTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Founder of the Stop Project 2025 Task Force, visited ABCD Jamaica Plain Head Start & Children’s Services to highlight the threat of Project 2025 to early education in Massachusetts and across the country. Congresswoman Pressley, whose visit comes during National Book Month, read to Head Start children and joined ABCD leadership and staff for a tour of the center.

Project 2025, a bucket list of extreme right-wing policies, would completely eliminate the Head Start program, which provides access to no-cost childcare and other services for nearly 11,000 children in Massachusetts, including 2,500 children in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District, and serves more than 833,000 children living in poverty nationwide.

“I was proud to visit ABCD Head Start in JP to read to our babies and highlight how impactful and life-changing the work they do is,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “While Republicans try to eliminate Head Start, raise costs for families, and exacerbate the childcare crisis, I’ll keep pressing to expand these essential programs, raise the wages of our early educators, and invest in affordable, high-quality childcare for all. Thank you to President Scott-Chandler, Executive Director Haimowitz, and everyone at ABCD and Head Start Massachusetts for all that you do support our families.”

Joining Rep. Pressley at the event were Sharon Scott-Chandler, ABCD President and CEO; Kim Weldon, Jamaica Plain Head Start Center Director; Josh Young, VP of Field Operations & Legislative Affairs; Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Head Start Association; and Head Start children and staff.

“Congresswoman Pressley has been an ally, an advocate, and, when necessary, a warrior for children and families when access to vital resources is at risk—as is the case if proponents of Project 2025 are able to enact its draconian policies. We are grateful for Rep. Pressley’s resolve to keep Head Start in place and, indeed, expand it,” said Sharon Scott-Chandler, President and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development.

“We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Pressley for fighting for early childhood education and care programs such as Head Start. She is a longtime advocate who understands that paying qualified teachers and staff equitably is essential; wages are an investment in families and this country’s future,” said Flossy Calderon, Vice President of ABCD Head Start & Children’s Services.

“Head Start’s comprehensive services provide a vital lifeline to vulnerable families in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the Commonwealth. We are so fortunate to have Congresswoman Pressley as a champion for Head Start in Congress, leading the charge for our Head Start families, educators, and programs. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Congresswoman to see that every vulnerable family has access to the high-quality Head Start services they deserve,” said Michelle Haimowitz, Executive Director, Massachusetts Head Start Association.

Photos from the event can be found here.

In Congress, Rep. Pressley has consistently sounded the alarm about Project 2025 and made the case for robust federal investments in childcare, living wages for early educators, support for the Head Start program, paid leave, and other policies that support families across the country.

Last year, Congresswoman Pressley welcomed Jaqueline Sanches, a Mattapan resident, early educator, and mother of two, as her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. In 2022, Rep. Pressley’s virtual guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Addres was Christina Morris, a Hyde Park resident, union carpenter, and mother of four who has advocated for affordable childcare so working parents like herself can make ends meet and take care of their families.

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025